2/5/2023

The question often arises, “Why do bad things happen?” More to the point, “Why does God allow evil to happen?” People often give this as a reason for not believing in God, saying that a Good God would not allow so much evil. Ironically, evil can only be overcome through faith only God can bring good from evil without fail. He did it in the case of Adam and Eve, in the case of the unjust crucifixion of Christ, and He can do it in the face of all other evils that inundate our daily news. But one has to believe to access that power, to find a way out.
That explains how to deal with evil, but the question was, why is there evil? Look to the Garden of Eden at the beginning of Genesis, where the free choices of Adam and Eve changed the course of history. Before they sinned, they communed with God in the garden. Their sin caused a change which involved the curses associated with their sin and an alienation from God which affected the whole of creation. Evil is the result of Adam and Eve’s choice to disobey God. So the source of evil can be seen as a result of our own choices, the misuse of our free will. God created us with free will and He respects that free will even when we abuse the privilege. God made us in hopes that He could share his life, his love, with us not just by our exterior obedience but also by our interior obedience: we not only obey God’s will in the things we do, but we desire to do so with all our heart and mind and soul. In the Theology of the Body one talks about “total selfgift.” That means we give of ourselves both externally and internally. In order for that to happen, we have to have the capacity to choose to give or not to give of ourselves. We call that Free Will. In the Old Testament, when they sacrificed a lamb, they chose a lamb, but the lamb could not volunteer because a lamb has no free will. When Christ was sacrificed, He said, ‘No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down that I may take it up again.’ (Jn 10:18) In the garden of Gethsemane, He said to the Father, ‘Take this cup from me, but not my will, but yours be done.’ (Mt 26:39) So, Jesus went through the crucifixion because it was the Father’s will and Christ chose to obey that will. There was an interior dimension of unforced obedience to the sacrifice which was not there [with] the Passover lamb. The lamb was unlucky that day; the Lamb of God, on the other hand, chose to obey the Father’s will.
The lesson of the crucifixion is that God brings good out of bad, out of evil. As a result of the death of His son, the Father raised Jesus from the dead, which is a great good for all humanity. It overcomes death permanently for us humans. The good news is He overcame death. The bad news is you have to die to find out. You have to die to yourself, believe in Christ, and learn to love in order to experience the Resurrection. So God has given us free will so that we could give ourselves both interiorly and exteriorly (totally) in love to Him. When we choose evil, then we cause suffering. God respects our choices because He made us and gave us free will.
A second thing to say is that God knows that we grow through suffering. When I talk to old couples on their 50th or 60th anniversary, they say the happiest years were when they had nothing but each other. They suffered because they didn’t have a lot to eat or much money. They were driving old cars that broke down. They had to give up things for each other and for their kids, but those were the good days. They suffered, but they suffered through it, and they held together in spite of their suffering. It didn’t drive them apart; it drove them together. They learned what was most important, and it was not wealth or luxury or pleasure. Suffering can be the catalyst to deepen a relationship. It can cause you to develop skills you wouldn’t otherwise develop. Suffering, if we do it in the right context and we take it to God, can actually bear good fruit. This is expressed in the scriptures as God disciplining those he loves (Heb 12:6) seen in faith, suffering and evil can be seen as discipline which creates character in the sufferer. All things work for Good in Christ Jesus. May we all be able to see our lives through these lenses of faith.

It is a joy to journey with you in faith towards our heavenly home.

Father Albert, O.S.B.