The Great Unanswerable Question

“Why did God let it happen?”

That is a question that has been asked by believers and non-believers alike for centuries. When tragedy strikes, the question is always “Why?” Often, there is no answer. At least, no answer that makes sense to the human mind.

A young man I knew for many years made a choice to end his own life. In this situation, the one person with the answer to the “Why” is the one person no one can ask. And yet, I’m not sure even he would have an answer that would satisfy the pain felt by those left behind. That choice is an act of such profound desperation, that I’m doubtful he would be able to answer his own question of why. If he could, perhaps he would have chosen another path.

As to the reason that God “let it happen” there may be a very simple answer, even though many will still not like the answer. The answer may very well be “because He is God.”

That probably sounds arrogant on the surface, so let me take you a little deeper in to that answer, at least to the measure I can understand it. I believe in a God that is holy, divine, complete, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He is, was, and is to come. If something exists, it is because God caused it to exist. The universe as we know it does not exist by random chance or accident. Individuals are born on purpose, no matter that circumstances may seem to prove otherwise. All that being said, every individual born into this world is a creature of free will. Every day, we as humans, make choices that affect not only ourselves, but everyone around us as well.

I believe that God, in His infinite wisdom, sees and knows every choice every individual will ever make in his or her given lifetime, good and bad, right and wrong. And He sees all the repercussions of every decision made by every individual since Adam and Eve first breathed the life He gave them. He sees the consequences of the decisions we don’t make. He sees every single “what if” scenario there could possibly be, no matter how many options may exist. He not only sees the “big picture”, He sees the infinite alternatives and sees every “big picture” that could possibly occur. He knows all the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” outcomes. He simply knows everything.

And yet, we still get to choose. He allows us to choose our own way through this world. He offers to help us, to show us the path He designed us to take. He gives us opportunity after opportunity to make the choices that will lead us to become the exact individual He had in mind when He first planned our existence. Yes, sometimes He seems to interfere with our choices. Miracles, happy accidents, coincidences; whatever you choose to call them, things happen that deter us from one path or guide us to another. Ultimately, however, every individual life is up to the individual. We choose and He allows us that choice. He has a perfect plan in mind. But he wants willing followers, not automatons. He wants us to choose Him and His way. He wants us to be completely devoted and knows we cannot be that if we do not choose to be devoted. No one can force one individual to love another, not even God, for that is not love. We are allowed to choose.

The human mind is powerful. The experts will tell you none of us use our minds to its full capacity. Its complexity continues to confound science and medicine. Every time the experts believe they have the answer, they find something new and realize there is still more to learn and discover. Yet for all its power, it is fragile. It can be damaged and even destroyed. And when a mind gets broken, the human spirit within that mind gets lost.

I don’t know the circumstances in the life of this young man I knew. I had not spoken to him for a long time. I don’t know what caused him to reach that breaking point. I do know that God was not surprised. He was not caught off guard. He knew the choice this young man would make, although He also knew the many other options that were available to him. So why did He not interfere? Because to do so would be against His very nature. If He does not allow one person to make their own choice, He cannot allow anyone to make their own choice. If He shows preference to one, He must show preference to all. If He forces one to alter their path, He must force all to alter their path. Free will vanishes and God becomes what He is not. It is His infinite holiness that grants us the power to choose.

Those of us who choose to believe in Him, in His plan of salvation, in His mercy and grace, are still allowed to choose our paths in this life. We still have free will. This young man made a choice to remove himself from this world. Those left in pain and grief do not know why. God, in His mercy and grace, gathered that young man into His arms at the very moment his spirit left his physical body and granted him an eternal peace that immediately healed whatever had broken within him. I believe this because I believe that young man knew God’s grace and had accepted His salvation. I believe God welcomed him home just as He will welcome all of His children home when our time comes.

Why did God let it happen? Because He is God.