Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

When you have everlasting NVP ("Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy"), you spend a great deal more time in front of the television. Although I enjoy movies tremendously, I am not much of a TV watcher save the 4 or 5 months of pregnancy that are misery.

All this is to explain why I happened upon a less than morally outstanding program late at night recently. Don't be too shocked, I know I'm not the only one who has seen Scrubs. Sometimes it's downright funny. The characters and setting are interesting. Depending on the episode, the faults can range from mildly crude to unduly risque to downright irreverent, which is why I usually make myself turn the channel. But something about this episode caught my attention. If you don't know the premise, it is a comedy about interns and residents in a hospital. The characters this particular episode was concerned with were Dr. Cox, the very grumpy head doctor, and a nurse named Laverne. Laverne had been established as the resident Christian, and the show has had great fun tearing apart her beliefs and making her appear either hypocritical or foolish for her faith. For whatever reason, the actress was leaving the show, so they decided to have her die in a car accident. The entire episode crabby Cox had been berating her for believing that there was a reason why bad things happened to seemingly good people. He couldn't believe in a God who would allow such things. Of course, Laverne had no answer, but was triumphant as the little girl who had been stabbed was found to have a tumor when they gave her an MRI, a tumor that would have killed her had it not been found.

In the wake of that blessing in disguise, Laverne dies in an accident on her way to work. Cox is left with no answer to his question, because obviously Laverne was a good person and she suffered by losing her life.

In this episode, rather than feeling irritated at the irreverent and mocking tone Scrubs sometimes takes, I found it to be very honest. A cry from the darkness saying "This is why I don't believe! Can you give me any reason to believe in a God who seems to turn a blind eye to our suffering?

Unfortunately, my answer as a Christian is usually lacking, just as Laverne's was. We KNOW the answer, but for some reason we don't try to put it into words. It's enough that we understand. But it's not! The reason we are here on earth and not already home in heaven with our Savior is because God loves all the ones who are still wondering who He really is. It's our job to show them the love of an amazing, unbelievable Being who has made all that we are and have.

Of course, the best way to show the love of Jesus is not usually with words. Sacrifice and the act of caring for others speaks much louder than our arguments and philosophies might. But when the question is asked, it deserves an answer.

The simple answer is that God is not responsible for the bad things that happen in this world. We are. Even the person who we consider "good" is still imperfect and sinful in the eyes of a completely holy God. Suffering did not enter this world when God created it. Suffering followed sin, and until God destroys this infected old world, suffering will still be a part of our lives. Why does He let it continue then? The Bible has a very clear answer for that question as well. In fact, it's written on my daughter's wall. 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

God understands much better than we do the price of sin. He understands it so much that he let a good man called Job suffer tremendously to let us all know for generations to come that our side of the matter is not all there is. He understands so well that he was willing to send His eternal and perfect Son into this world, knowing that he would suffer far beyond any human ever will. Not so much physically, though he definitely experienced pain, but as the only perfect man to ever live, taking upon himself all the sin of every person who ever lived. That's suffering. So we never have a right to point a finger in the face of God and accuse him of being unaware of what it's like to suffer.

What do we say then, when someone who has yet to understand the plan of God asks the age old question, why do bad things happen if there is a perfect God?

I'd say it's out of love. God created us, knowing we'd fail, but knowing that He was willing to go the distance for us. We don't really understand this love, because we love usually hoping for something in return. God did everything. We don't need to do anything, and we can be as miserable and corrupt as possible and his love will not change. There is nothing I can do that God is not willing to forgive because of what Jesus did.

And we really begin to understand His love when we surrender our belief that we are "good." When we accept the truth, His Truth, we begin to see the love He has lavished on us since the moment he created us. God is good. God is love. God wants us all to belong to him, no matter who we are or what we've done.

Because of Jesus.