What a pain to suffer!

In His character, God alone is the absolute expression of love that is never separated from holiness. God cannot be at the same time holy and unloving or loving and unholy. In turning our backs upon Him, we lose the source of defining love, live with the pain of unholiness and suffering remains an enigma- leaving our blemished characters in search of a moral law and our finite minds crying out for an answer. Which of us does not hurt when we see pure love abused and despised? Our hearts reveal a hunger for a love that is pure, and in this world we have lost both definitions because we have denied their source.

-Ravi Zacharias from Cries of the Heart.

Pain and suffering outside of a loving God has no hope. Pain and suffering outside of a loving God has no greater meaning. Pain and suffering outside of a loving God has no purpose.

I cannot find any way out of this reality. Can you? Please let me know if you do.

Pain and suffering exist. There is no way to escape the reality of it. Even for those of us humans who feel that life is meaningless, who are numb and broken... that condition comes most likely out of unresolved pain and suffering.

Animals experience pain and suffering. But unlike humans they do not question the greater purpose, meaning, context, morality or justice of the pain or suffering in question. Whether we like to admit it or not, I think all of us struggle to make sense of the utter despair our world is in.

Holiness...or as described to a child 'pure and perfet goodness.'

Again, as complex and enormous the issue is. The old sunday school lesson turns out to once again be true. Understood by children, contemplated by wisemen... "God is good, he loves you, you can trust him."

What I would like to add is "even when you don't yet understand his ways."

Really, what other choice is there? Either a good God, delusion or despair. This is not to say we trust because we have no other choice, but more so to recognize that when it comes to God he is always by a very large infinite margin, simply just the best choice. Like it or not :)