An Eternal Career: V. The Mystery of Suffering

All over the world people are asking, "Why is there so much suffering?" Sorrow and pain are excellent awakeners, conducive to thought; and when people have had abundant afflictive experiences they seek the cause, and for a means of future prevention.

Why there should be pain at all is a paradox for undoubtedly Omnipotent God could have created man differently; but for wise purposes beyond our present range of knowledge created him with the capacity to suffer. God also gave man free will, and it is by the exercise of this, that man settles his own destiny and makes his happiness or unhappiness.

Searching for causes of suffering leads to the inevitable conclusion that the responsibility of it rests with man, and not with God. Although the primitive view of suffering was that it was made by God, and that therefore it should be removed by Him without any effort on the part of man. Backward

The fact that only about one-tenth of the criminals are apprehended leads many people to believe they can get by with it if sufficiently clever. Circumventing earthly laws is only postponement for the episode does not end when the judge and jury pronounce them "not guilty." Eventually all violators are overtaken by the law of retribution which operates with a geometrical rigor penalizing all wrong-doers.

A prolific source of suffering arises from the violation of the mental laws. Few people have the slightest conception that their thinking has a corresponding effect upon themselves and the external world. Yet it is in his creative capacity that man most closely resembles his Creator. THOUGHT IS THE CREATIVE POWER! BEWARE HOW YOU USE IT! Harboring thoughts of

Pearl Harbor was avenged by the annihilation of two cities and their 125,000 helpless inhabitants. "We settled the score," said many with sadistic glee. We settled nothing. What we did was set into motion innumerable other evils which will culminate in dreadful disasters for us. The people of this country have good reason to fear the atomic bomb—their fear is coupled with guilt. War never decides who is right; it only determines who is left.

Reaction is sure to follow for those who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind. Men who go abroad

Selfishness contributes its quota of suffering. In fact selfishness is about the most wretched of vices with innumerable manifestations called diseases. A selfish individual is always miserable; while those who live for others are impervious to the things which vex and irritate those whose every thought is, "What will I get out of it?" Or "how will this affect ME?" A God-centered life is free from the cares and worries of a self-centered life.

All great teachers, including Jesus, insisted upon the extinguishment of the self. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life shall find it."

Some people think life intolerable because they suffer; yet without pain little progress would be made. Few people listen to spiritual truths before they have been through the purifying process of loss, disaster, calamity or death. Sorrow and suffering are builders, and millions of people but for these would not have made the progress they have. In the crucible of pain great souls are fashioned; the strong sturdy ones, those whose characters shine, are well acquainted with grief.