I conclude our series with most challenging question of all. I am sure it has been on many of our minds the last few months and weeks as we have seen the devastation that Hurricane Matthew has caused. Out of that suffering comes the granddaddy of all questions: “If there is a God then why do people suffer?” Another way people ask this question is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” 

In theological circles it is called the theodicy question. The process of the question goes like this: If God can’t stop suffering, then he is not great.  If God can stop suffering and doesn’t, then he is not good.  So many folks ask, “If you are telling me God is great and good, then why is there suffering in the world?”  It is a great question.

It is my experience that the theodicy question is one o…