Had I decided to run half a Marathon during March, It would have taken me six months to prepare.Imagine afterwards being blown by a bomb at the finish line.
Or imagine raising a kid for six years to lose him when a train hits his school bus or when enemy fighters blow his classroom
Now imagine being slaughtered in Bosnia, gassed in Auschwitz, massacred in Armenia, eradicated in Darfur, annihilated in Rwanda for holding a different faith or belonging to another tribe.
The question still remains unanswered, why do we suffer?
A question that turned many into existential atheists in their struggle to find a loving God they can't find; and created apologists out of others afraid of losing the same loving God
Suffering is real, any attempt to justify it is a mere defense mechanism, an attempt to isolate oneself from a cruel reality, a shield against an absurd existence and an arrogant attempt to rationalize a fellow human's pain so that one can alleviate his own worries.
Having faith - regardless of your belief - is a vital component, just make sure it doesn't turn into another defense mechanism. That it's more than a couple of comforting catchy phrases to which people have to respond with a pious "amen".
Before rushing to choose an answer in the comfort of your seat, think if this answer is enough to quench the grief of a mother or console the pain in a starving kid's eyes.
I've wrestled a lot with the question. I believe no human wisdom has the capacity of responding to a dilemma of such proportion. All I can do is acknowledge my personal weakness in the struggle against a mighty foe, and show solidarity through silent prayer
A tribute to all who fell over the ages...
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