Suffering is an aspect of Christian faith that we all too often find hard to navigate. Before launching into ‘why suffering is integral to our faith’, we have to also ponder the question; why does it raise such differing opinions and dividing stances between each of us.

I would argue this has more to do with us, and our experience of suffering, than the intention of how God willed for it.

The most common question I hear when it comes to faith has been with ‘non-Christians’/‘pre-Christians,’ (whatever label you would prescribe), is “where is God in the suffering, in the painful times of life?” A question that as ‘christians’ we seem to suppress out of fear that the doubt would minimise our unshakable faith in God’s sovereignty, or be perceived as blasphemy/distrust. Instead, we pray around the issues.

On reflecting, I think it’s important for us to stop and ponder: why, why do we care so much about the topic of suffering? And why is suffering such an integral part of ‘being a human?’