Investigation into suffering

'If there is an omnipresent, all knowing, compassionate God why is there so much suffering in this world?' How often have you faced that question from your 'secular' friends? If so how well prepared are you to provide a convincing answer?

Arun Shourie, a well known author, journalist and parliamentarian is asking the question in his latest book. 'Does He know a Mother's Heart?' I have not read the book, but I am very familiar with the question. I happened to watch an interesting interview of Arun Shourie by Sagarika Ghose after the publication of the book. It gave a fair indication of his line of thinking.

The extermination of six million Jews, mass killings and destruction by tsunamis and earthquakes are among the evils which make it impossible to him to believe that God intervenes in human affairs or that He cares for mankind.

A few background details are relevant as he raises the question of God. He has a 35-year old son, Aditya, suffering from cerebral palsy and his wife Anita is a victim of Parkinson's disease. His son can not walk or use his hands, would talk in syllables and needs to be fed also. He can see only through one corner of the left eye. He claims that it is his wife who runs the house. There are such mother's –he has known several of them--who have special children and who have invariably transmuted their personal suffering into service . It is they who deserve admiration. The author is a daily witness to the anguish in a Mother's heart over such suffering. 'Does God know?â€"that seems to be his question.

Rationalisation of human suffering doesn't appeal to him. It is not that God put them to severe test by granting them handicapped children so that they may later undertake good works like starting schools for spastic children. He does not believe that there is a cosmic purpose in suffering.

He has gone through several religious texts which rationalized suffering and to him such reasoning sounds hollow. In this respect he feels close to Buddha, Arun Shourie is not for depending on any external force to solve the problem of suffering. "We must do something" here one finds the emphasis on 'karma.' He has been very critical of Hinduism in the past and he has not found the explanation for suffering in the Hindu scriptures satisfying either.

To a question from Sagarika he admits that he had been to godmen and saints. Well, in desperate situations one would seek desperate remedies. He would have naturally gone to any man who would have offered even a glimmer of hope.

But now he feels wiser. One must examine the godman with laser sharp eyes before deciding to spend money or time on them.

Not enough is being done to the disabled in the country with the second largest population. On the one hand there is much display of religiosity and on the other callous indifference towards the specially abled. In public life, he had felt impressed by Sonia Gandhi's gesture in doing something for the handicapped on Rajive's birth anniversaries; her example of doing things for others is worth emulating. Kushwant Singh too used to advocate 'doing something for others' on special occasions like birth days and death anniversaries. Suffering should be transmuted into service.

He says his next project is to look for the pearls in religions, separating them from all the dross.

I had the privilege of knowing the author and working with him when he was editor of the Times of India. Those were days when the terrorist problem in Punjab was at its peak and he had put his life at risk by his fearless wri-tings. During the lunch hour, our talks turned to religious topics. I can vividly recall that a prominent theme that figured in our conversations was unmerited suffering. It must have been amusing to at least some how a person known for saffron leanings (though mistakenly) could be so cordial to another who subscribed to an 'alien' faith.

His new book is his testimonial arising out of his experiences. Regardless of his conclusions, it will stir readers to find an answer to the problem of pain. No one will disagree with him about the hopelessness of his situation. It is precisely in such situations many had heard the call of God. Did not C S Lewis make that famous statement that pain is God's megaphone to rouse deaf humans from their slumber?

While pain seems so absurd, it is equally absurd to conceive of a world without pain. Dr Paul Brand whose work with leprosy patients in India and the United States felt convinced that pain truly is one of God's great gifts to us.

Then what is the key to the meaning of life when suffering robs life of all meaning? The key is in the Cross. It is the death of the word of God made flesh which is our great lesson how to think and how to speak of the world. 'His cross has put its due value upon everything which we see, upon all fortunes, all advantages, all ranks all dignities, all pleasures, upon the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.


'The Cross has set a price on the excitements, the rivalries, the hopes, the fears, the desires, the efforts, the triumphs of mortal man. It has given a meaning to the various, shifting course, the trials, temptations, the suffering of this earthly state,' wrote Cardinal Newman.

It is one thing to believe God ; quite another to know Him. God is made known only by the Holy Spirit and not through ordinary learning. Hence the question in the Book of Job (Bible): 'Can you by searching find God?' All arguments are futile. 'I have lived with the conviction that unearned suffering is redemptive. There are some who still find the cross a stumbling block, others consider it foolishness. But I am more convinced than ever that it is the power of God to social and individual salvation.' Martin Luther King Jr.& Nbsp.

There is a plethora of books on the subject by Christian authors. The Problem of Pain by C. S Lewis, Where is God when it hurts by Philip Yancy, Creative Suffering by Paul Tournier, The Gift of Pain by Dr Paul Brand and The Hidden Treasure in Suffering by Basilea Schlink are just a few among them.