Why Living by the Logos? A Brief Introduction to the Biblical Dilemma of Suffering

Welcome to my first entry! In this post, I would like to clarify the intent and mission of Living by the Logos. Firstly, because of the potential controversy that could arise from discussing such personal convictions and beliefs concerning the Judeo-Christian Bible, I have opted to embrace anonymity for the time being. If this blog gains some momentum, as is my burning desire, I may choose to remove this ‘mask.’ It is up to you, the reader, to spark and kindle the flame; it may fail, and if so, I lose nothing but a few dollars! Until the time comes, you can call me S.L.

So why have I chosen to not reveal myself? Well, I mentioned the potential of striking some controversy. For the record, I do not consider myself a Christian and I have no Jewish heritage to my knowledge. I was raised and steeped in the Southern Baptist tradition, then bounced around between nondenominational and United Methodist. But (plot twist!) I must take the first step here and admit that I had a problem! What is this problem? I never resented or, honestly, recanted my faith; yet, something would not click as I tried to believe. I tried dedicating myself to Christianity numerous times; I poured my heart into prayer and the earnest study of Scripture, and followed all the formulas left by profound individuals such as Lee Strobel and Josh McDowell. With all due respect to such individuals, as they continue to inspire and shape my approach, I did not arrive at the same conclusions. I actually cannot say that I have arrived at my conclusion, and I hope that you will join me on this journey as I seek to make sense of this monumental Book. Maybe you feel the same. Has the church failed you? Has Christianity let you down? Why are you hurting when Scripture says “Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things?” (Prov. 13:21, New International Version, 2011). Where is God in the midst of this darkness? If these questions keep you up at night, you have come to the right place. You are not alone. And if these things do not bother you, I invite you to stick around and learn about a different perspective.

            Regardless of who you are or what your background is, you have surely experienced suffering of some kind. If not (highly unlikely), you should at least be able to look at the world or even the news to see that suffering is a very real and frightening problem. One must wonder, where does this suffering come from, how, and why? If you have any theological and/or philosophical background, you must be familiar with the problem of evil. It is a massive argument utilized to make the case against the existence of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent deity. However, this problem is broad; if anything, too broad. If you are familiar with the problem, by now, you may have answered the question. Free will! Sin! In order for this to be the best possible world, evil is necessary! There are numerous answers to the problem, but in general, it is easy to answer why evil exists in the world. Dig a little deeper into the problem of evil and you will become familiar with the problem of suffering, pain, or natural evil. If God exists, why has COVID-19 resulted in the deaths of nearly seven million people worldwide?¹ Why did the Holocaust happen, or the recent earthquakes in Syria?

            As it turns out, the Bible provides numerous answers to this problem that are often at odds with one another. The goal of Living by the Logos is to unpack these answers and dive deeper into what the Bible says about suffering. If a pastor has told you that by tithing you will not suffer, I am going to disappoint you. If you believe that by attending church three or four times a month you can avoid pain, I am going to let you down. And, eventually, God will too. Why? Because despite what the funny man cracking wife jokes on the stage tells you, these are not biblically sound answers. They may be silly, but if you have lived in the church as I have, you have heard them or know someone who has.

It is truly sad that someone out there, who is grieving, hurting, or just frustrated with this life is sitting in a church, looking for a hopeful answer, only to hear these things. Or maybe that they are a bad person and because they did not put money in the Salvation Army bucket, they will suffer here and then spend eternity in a furnace. But they have the freedom to make that choice! Or maybe they suffer because God wants to help, but cannot or lacks the willpower to do so. The end is near, anyone? Let’s just remain hopeful! These answers, in essence, are what we find on each page of the Book that contains the coherent answers to all of life’s questions. All except one, it seems.

            I must note that I am not attacking the Bible. I am attacking Christianity and the church for failing to take all parts of the Bible into consideration: for abusing this book to make a claim to money and fame. For profiting off the hopelessness and darkness that everyone has, is, or will face. The church has a responsibility, and yet throughout its entire history, it has failed. And it continues to slip, yet preachers wonder why sermons on the decline of church attendance or the increase in divorce rates are not bringing in the masses. It is my goal to provide the readers of this blog with honest information that will lead them to dig deeper into the Word, the Logos.

I must confess my bias here that I do not believe the Bible adequately answers the problem of suffering. But I want to present the facts and let you decide where you decide to stand. As this is a blog and not an academic journal or popular magazine, I will offer my opinions when desired. Despite where I stand on Christianity and the inerrancy of Scripture, I still make it my effort to live by several principles and values within the Bible. I believe it to be the most important book in human history, containing priceless wisdom and guidance for healthy living. In this sense, I still try to live by it. And it is my goal that through my dedication to the study of Scripture, I can inspire you, whoever and wherever you are, regardless of your background or beliefs, to live by the Logos.

What’s next?

I have kept this post brief and straight to the point. For the purpose of conciseness and readability, I have not incorporated numerous sources or poured into research for this entry, but I hope to do so in future posts as we dive deeper into the biblical text. Currently, I am working through a deep study on the book of Amos and its response to the problem of suffering. I hope to provide an introductory entry to either Amos or the problem of suffering within the next week. For more, yet concise, information on Living by the Logos and myself, please visit the About tab.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have! Simply visit the Contact tab and fill out the short form. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours. Please, like, share, comment, and spread the word (or should I say, logos?).

S.L.