Hey there. You look troubled as if the weight of the world is upon your shoulders. Friend, do not be disheartened and know that when the chips are down and everyone abandons you, Jesus still loves you. He will carry the burden of your sins. For those who are oppressed Christ will ease your suffering. Do not be afraid or perturbed.
Many of us are familiar with such a narrative in Christianity where suffering has meaning and a remedy is offered to alleviate misery. How that kind of narrative resonates is the topic of this OP.
We all experience loss, pain and inevitably our own mortality. We all know first hand suffering exists. So if there really is a God, does that God truly care and what is God’s purpose in allowing suffering?
Do religions other than Christianity provide similar narrative or is the a substantial difference in perspective?
If there is no God, is there harm in finding comfort in stories like those in the Bible? What should be our best response as we inevitably face adversity?
(a general outline of what the bible actually says on the matter)
The most difficult thing to accept is that yes... God knows what is happening to people -and, for the most part, does NOTHING -for now.
That is not to say he will never do anything.
1: It was necessary to create a future for billions of new 'gods' in which such things do NOT happen. The choice was similar to that of any parent -either to not reproduce, or accept all that is between newness and responsible adulthood -including dealing with children free to make choices and affect each other adversely or positively. Being the ultimate authority, however -and having ultimate power, he has both a greater responsibility (to literally make us perfect) and more options. 2: God knew from the beginning he could make it a non-issue -reverse all adverse effects and memory of it.
Some do great evil -but many who experience great evil are innocent. They are born into a reality where things are not as they should be.
They do not deserve it. Few would have an issue with evil happening to evildoers -but the greatest evil is that which happens to the innocent.
Some say that what is written in the bible equates to God saving us from himself -but it is actually God saving us from a lack of himself.
It is not an ego trip. God is literally math, logic, truth -every inescapable thing -personified. That is especially important to remember as things become extremely complicated.
We absolutely need God's government because of WHAT God is -just as much as WHO God is. He is also the original -so it is logical that he HAD to be perfect in order to move forward.
God worked more directly with beings in the past. He gave them all they needed, but they were new and could make decisions.
The only thing he could not give them instantaneously was personal experience.
The alternative to God is a reality we are incapable of managing -and experience of things going very wrong.
So... God allowed things to go very wrong -because many consistently chose it (because they did not fully realize what they were choosing yet) -and would continue to do so.
Not all rejected God, but God is responsible for making EVERYTHING and EVERYONE right -so the innocent are affected by the choices of the evil.
That is the reality of a shared environment.
Because guidance and instruction was consistently rejected, creating a future in which everyone is perfect and absolutely incorruptible REQUIRED experience of reality without God -for the most part -and also God purposing that we actually experience the LEAST amount of evil necessary OVERALL -in the shortest amount of time.
That includes every horrible and heartbreaking thing that should never happen. The only way for it to never happen is for people not to do it.
The only way for people not to do it is experience.
Does every individual innocent person need to experience everything they do?
No -but that is the point.
Each individual is given about 120 or less years -and man since Adam onward about 6,000 years (has nothing to do with age of Earth).
From Adam until the return of Christ, mankind OVERALL is living the reality that without God's government, things go horribly wrong until we destroy ourselves.
This point absolutely had to be made -but, more importantly, it had to be LIVED. Unless it was LIVED, there was room for doubt. IT HAD TO BE WRITTEN IN REALITY.
Talk changes little. Experience brings us to change ourselves -and acceptance of reality.
The harsh reality is that God is focusing on the OVERALL FIRST -because it is NECESSARY to create a perfect future FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL.
From within this reality -and by being made strong by striving against it -God has called some to be "firstfruits" who will literally be the beginnings of a government under God -of Earth and beyond -which will be capable of keeping horrible things from happening -which has not been the case thus far. God -through Christ -will initially ENFORCE PEACE among the nations as that government ADMINISTERS PEACE.
Meanwhile...Not all chose to do evil. Not all rejected God. Many did wonderful things and had horrific things happen to them.
During this time, most suffering of individuals is not dealt with.
ONLY AFTERWARD WILL ALL SUFFERING OF ALL INDIVIDUALS BE NULLIFIED -HEALED -ERASED -DELETED FROM REALITY -FORGOTTEN.
GOD KNEW HE COULD DO THAT BEFORE HE STARTED.
God will vent his wrath -building as he worked out his purpose of making us gods -until it is gone. He will begin by drawing all nations (still 'in the game' at the time) to around Jerusalem (as he further purifies those Israelites there -who will experience a sustained attack by neighbors as larger warring forces advance toward there). Christ will return -in his glorious body (that which Moses saw the back parts of) -and "stand as in the day of battle" -forces gathered to war with each other and against Jerusalem will turn to fight him -but Christ and HIS army (his camp is very great [Joel 2]) will put down their forces in no uncertain terms -and will "destroy those who destroy the Earth".
He will then begin to reign on Earth -and rebuke nations afar off -who will beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.
The last will be made first and the first last. The meek (which does not equate to weak) and innocent will govern -and evildoers will be separated and given an ultimatum... being essentially... stay here and suffer indefinitely, have this evil purified out of you -or die.
"God is equal" -it's just a matter of time.
"Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy."