It occurred to me this morning that I inadvertently skipped an important phrase in the Creed: [Jesus] "suffered under Pontius Pilate." I was zeroed in on the historicity of Jesus' life and death and left out this crucial part. Someone once remarked that evil is only a philosophical problem for Christians and Jews who believe in an all-powerful and loving God. An atheist or evolutionist may not like evil and suffering, but it's not an intellectual or philosophical issue because it just is. If you don't believe in God, there is nothing to explain or understand. On the other hand, if there is no Source of goodness, no Supreme Being before whom we are accountable, who's to say we can't murder, steal, lie and cheat? Society may function better if we don't, but these vices can't be said to be morally wrong if there is no objective standard. And without God, all standards become relative.
But for Christians, evil is a real philosophical problem. It is classically stated thusly: "If God is all-powerful, he could prevent suffering; if he is loving, he would prevent suffering. Suffering exists, therefore God either is not all-powerful, or not loving." It is a conundrum against which faith has shattered for more than one person. I've even read sermons from preachers who grappled with this problem and concluded that God must not be all-powerful. Apparently they couldn't allow themselves to suppose that God is not loving.
The problem is, we can philosophize all we want, but it is this world, this reality with which we must finally come to terms. Evil is abundantly present in this world, and yet in the face of it, as Christians we hold in tension the omnipotence and the love of God. I wish I understood why there has to be as much suffering as there is in this world, but I don't. What I do believe is that God uses even evil to forge in his people faith, perseverance, courage, and compassion, none of which would be possible apart from suffering.
This short phrase in the Creed takes it a step further. Christ joins us in suffering. For reasons unknown to me, God has usually chosen not to deliver his people out of suffering, but to perfect them through it, but he hasn't done so as a distant deity who issues edicts that impact others but have no effect on himself. No; in Jesus Christ, God entered this world of suffering, and joined us in our sorrows. Countless times I've had the sacred honor of walking with people through some of their darkest hours. Rarely have I been able to do anything that actually alleviates their suffering, but I've had people tell me that just being there beside them in their grief was what enabled them to make it through the storm. I can testify to the same power of Presence as people have stood by me in hard times. I prayed for the storm to pass, and it eventually did, but not as quickly as I would have liked, and not without it taking its toll on me and those I love. But I also had the blessing of people who walked with me, and they are to this day my deepest friends.
Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate. God doesn't abandon us, doesn't chide us in our struggles. Instead, as Scripture says, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16). Jesus suffered, so he knows and understands our suffering, our weakness in the midst of it, and instead of condemning us, bids us confidently draw near because God is gracious and merciful. Just knowing this causes me to bow in awe and thanksgiving before our all-powerful and all-loving God.
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