suffering

This is not a well thought out response to the question of suffering but just a couple of ideas that I've been thinking about recently.

1 - The fact that we recognise that such a thing as suffering exists points to a compassionate and just God. Pure natural selection would see us at least uninterested if not happy about the latest tragedy involving the loss of life as it represents less competition for resources for those of us who have survived. instead of seeing tragedies as survival of the fittest we are deeply affected by them. We have a sense of justice because God, who is Just gave it to us. We have a sense of compassion because God, who is Compassion, gave it to us.

2 - The worst case of innocent suffering is seen at the cross where Jesus who did nothing wrong and didn't truly deserved our worship, received every form of suffering imaginable. Did that appear unjust? Yes. Could the Father have intervened? Yes. Why didn't he? Because there was something bigger going on. In the midst of the worst case of suffering imaginable, God knew what he was doing. He still does.