By Jamal Rahman
When we look around us, we see there is so much pain, so much suffering, so much injustice, so much cruelty. Some of us then naturally ask, “Is God really compassionate?” And that perennial question also comes to the mind: “Why do bad things happen to innocent people?”
The only true answer to this question is silence.
Why does God, who is All-Aware, Powerful and Merciful, allow this cruelty and suffering to occur? This is a grand mystery.
But there is an even greater mystery. I want to share here my own experience in this regard. In my few decades of having counseled people, I have met some clients who have been badly savaged by life’s circumstances. One of these people suffered incest, another one’s daughter was murdered. A third person from a foreign country agonized over the fate of his father. Because his father opposed the government, he was thrown to his death from an army helicopter. All these people were beset by deep suffering and pain. A persistent question in their mind was, “Where is God in all of this?” So, when they sought counseling, they made one demand, “Please never mention the word ‘God’.”
Of course I respected their wish. In our sessions I never mentioned the word ‘God’. These three people, whom I know very well now, went through the difficult process of healing their deepest wounds and becoming empowered. Astonishingly, in the prolonged work of transforming and integrating their pain and anger, these same people have now become ardent, passionate devotees of God! This, to me, is the greater mystery!
This greater mystery is beautifully expressed in a story, where a Bedouin was once asked, “Do you believe in the All-Compassionate God?” The Bedouin replied, “You mean the God who sent me illnesses, poverty and suffering and made me wander from one country to another?” But as he spoke, he entered into a state of ecstasy!
That indeed is the greater mystery!
(Based in the USA, Jamal Rahman is a popular speaker and author. His passion lies in interfaith community building and activism.)