I used to wonder why suffering existed. Why was there war, hunger, and pain if God was truly good? It didn’t make sense to me at first. The world seemed so cruel, so unfair. I’d hear people say, “If God is so powerful, why does He allow this?” and for a long time, I didn’t have an answer.
But then I started paying attention—not just to the world, but to people.
I thought back to history, to the way nations were built. The powerful stole, took, and hoarded, leaving others to play a game they could never win. Entire systems were created by human hands, with full knowledge that they would fail those at the bottom. And when they did, people asked, “Why did God allow this?”
But God didn’t create war. He didn’t create greed. He didn’t create systems designed to keep people oppressed. Humans did.
And what about those who had more than enough? The ones God had blessed, not just with wealth but with favor, wisdom, and opportunities? Many of them kept it to themselves. They saw others suffering, others lacking, and yet they refused to share. Or worse, they gave only when it was convenient—when it wouldn’t cost them anything significant.
The truth is, God never told us to keep everything for ourselves. He calls us to love our neighbors, to be generous, to lift each other up. But people don’t always listen. And then they turn around and blame Him for the broken world they created.
I remember a time when I trusted someone, gave them the benefit of the doubt, even when their actions told me exactly who they were. I thought, Maybe they didn’t mean it like that. Maybe I’m overthinking. But deep down, I knew the truth. People show you who they are the first time around. Believe them.
The same applies to the world. When you look at the state of things, don’t blame God for what people have chosen to do. He gave us free will—the ability to love, to give, to build, and to heal. But also the ability to destroy, to take, and to ignore the suffering of others.
The question isn’t why God allows suffering. The question is why we do.
Tu Paz: A Journey of Faith and Healing 