Suffering           One of the most difficult issues any person has to face is the issue of suffering. We can understand that some people, due to their own actions, cause themselves and others suffering. But why do we have destructive earthquakes, hurricanes and floods? Why do the innocent suffer?     Some say we do not fully understand suffering, but have to accept it and place our trust in a good God who will make all things well. Others say suffering is due to the limited nature of the universe (made of matter which naturally disintegrates) and the sin (selfishness) of people. By definition what ever is created is limited in some way. Still others might say that while an incident like a volcanic eruption (Mt. St. Helens) may occur or an individual die (Martin Luther King, Jr.), ultimately everything is leading to greater life. If one accepts an evolutionary approach then the history of our Universe/World has been very violent indeed. Violent eruptions like Mt. St. Helens have gone on long before humans sinned. And a great many animals and humanoids died prior to Adam and Eve. Why did this occur? Was this suffering? In the context of Evolution, Sin cannot be the only cause of what we call "suffering." The earth quakes and things fall apart because of the kind of world we live in. There is both an element of chance as well as certain laws which govern the unfolding of the universe, e.g., the movement of the earth's crust. In the same way in human affairs there is an element of chance (accidents) as well as certain laws of human interaction which when violated bring about suffering (killing others). There is no question, however, that SIN (self-centeredness or one's failure to live up to one's human potential) causes suffering. It is sin that causes one to suffer because it strains or breaks one's relationship with the world, one's neighbors, God and even one's self. This is the message of the Biblical account of the Fall. (Genesis Chapter 3)           Suffering remains a mystery in the sense that we cannot fully know why God created the particular type world we live in. With the Resurrection of Jesus, Christians came to understand that suffering and even death are, in themselves, neither a waste nor a dead end. The suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus demonstrate that suffering can be the path to the fullness of life.