There is one question that pastors get asked more often than any other, especially at this time of year. Can you guess what it is?

"If God loves us so much, why does he allow suffering?"

Sometimes it's a personal question: "Why am I having to suffer so much?" or "Why is the person I love so much having to suffer like this?" Sometimes, after a disaster, it's more general: "Where was God when the volcano turned into a sludgeslide?" Or when the tornado hit the church, killing even the pastor's little girl, who was waiting for the musical signal to lead a procession into church. Or when the tidal wave hit Medan, Sumatra, killing 11,000. Enter your personal question in this list.

This is not a casual question. Often those who are asking ask out of deep personal pain, trying to align their faith th…