How can God be good when there’s so much evil and pain?
This question, often called the problem of evil, has challenged theologians, philosophers, and believers for centuries. Yet within the Christian tradition, we find rich and hopeful ways to engage this mystery, ways that hold both human freedom and divine love in tension.
Free Will and the Nature of a Fallen World
Human Freedom: The Risk of Love
From the beginning, Scripture affirms that humanity was created with the freedom to choose. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God says, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.”
Free will makes love possible, but it also allows for sin and suffering. When people choose selfishness or violence, they exercise that same freedom God gave as a gift. The Christian understanding of moral evil rests here: God does not will evil, but allows freedom so that goodness, compassion, and genuine love can be real.
The Fall and the World’s Brokenness
The story of Genesis 3 (the disobedience of Adam and Eve )describes more than an ancient mistake. It symbolizes humanity’s ongoing tendency to turn away from God’s will. This “fall” disrupted the harmony between God, humanity, and creation itself. Paul echoes this in Romans 8:22, saying that “the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now.” Pain, injustice, and natural disasters remind us that we inhabit a world still waiting for redemption.
Greater Purposes and the Mystery of Suffering
Redemptive Purposes: God at Work in All Things
Even amid sorrow, Christians confess that God can bring good from what is evil. Romans 8:28 declares, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God.” This does not mean every tragedy is divinely planned. Rather, it affirms that God’s love is stronger than the worst that happens, that grace can grow in the soil of grief. Through suffering, many find deeper faith, compassion, and solidarity with others.
Mystery and Trust: Faith Beyond Understanding
Some questions resist tidy answers. The book of Job confronts this directly: Job never learns why he suffers, but he encounters the living God who sustains him. Christian theology thus invites humility, acknowledging that finite minds cannot fully comprehend the purposes of an infinite God. In the cross and resurrection of Jesus, believers see the clearest image of divine goodness: a God who enters suffering to redeem it from within (Philippians 2:5–11).
The Role of Divine Goodness in the Midst of Suffering
God’s Presence in Pain
The Bible repeatedly assures us that God does not abandon the brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18 proclaims, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Divine goodness is not distant or abstract, it is experienced through presence, comfort, and hope. Through prayer, community, and acts of compassion, believers embody God’s care for one another.
Justice and Mercy: The Final Word
Evil will not have the last word. The vision of Revelation 21:4 offers hope: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more.” God’s justice and mercy will one day renew all creation. Until then, the church is called to witness to that future by pursuing justice, forgiveness, and healing here and now.
Conclusion: Trusting the God Who Suffers with Us
The problem of evil remains one of faith’s deepest challenges, yet the Christian story offers a response rooted in love and hope. Free will explains much of human evil; the Fall reveals creation’s brokenness; and God’s redemptive purpose points toward restoration. Ultimately, the cross stands at the center of this mystery showing that divine goodness is not proven by the absence of suffering but by God’s presence within it.
In Jesus Christ, God does not look away from pain; God bears it, transforms it, and promises new life beyond it. Even when we cannot see the reasons, we can trust the Redeemer who walks beside us through every valley (Psalm 23:4).