Why does God allow all this?

Working these days at home, respecting quarantine and in the middle of the avalanche of news, sarcastic jokes, statistic data about coronavirus, a question arises, a question that with certain frequency also appears in moments of deepest pain, moments of uncertainty, moments of suffering.

I wonder why God allows all this. (Sure thing, as if He was responsible) Why so much pain, suffering in this time! We already have enough with everydays pain.

At the same time, other reflections and concerns arise when observing some paradoxes.

In the times of greatest scientific advance and when we explore life in other planets, we are confined to be in our homes due to a set of micro particles.

At a time when It is intended to redefine freedom, essential values ​​such as gender, motherhood and fatherhood, the value of the life of the elderly and children to be born, this epidemy reminds us that the family, as God has thought us, is the first and more important base in society, since it is an image of itself-a communion of love-, it is a place of love, of forgiveness, where men learn to live together, it is a school, shelter, where the person learns to live the encounter, communion. In family we usually find unconditional love to get back on track.

What a paradox! To perceive loneliness, in the middle of so many social networks “full of friends” and followers.

How difficult it is to realize that not even with all the money, fame or power for which we sometimes reach out and that the world “imposes” on us as a model of life and for which we sometimes stop caring for our own family and even ourselves and our relationship with God, cannot give us freedom, nor happiness or authentic enjoyment that comes from perceiving and enjoying the genuinely good: loved in our life like seeing our child running under the sun, his smile when playing, seeing the elderly talking, the joy of having  lunch at your parents ‘and friends’ house, enjoying the sunset at the beach or in a swimming pool, feeling a hug, a sincere smile, a friendly greeting, a firm handshake, going shopping or being able to enter a chapel to thank and listen.

Anyway, so many other things that give evidence the great paradox of happiness: What it is just there, so close and so far, everywhere, what we already have, in faces of our beloved ones and not in things. It resides in The Blessing that God gives us day by day, to be able to live and perceive all the good received as a gift, even when we have problems or difficulties, because he always grants us his grace – if we want it – to bear them with him.  It is found there, in the small, simple and daily things such as the blessing of having a family, and I mean by this the fundamental basis, the family  centered in Faith, such as the Church, the family that we have formed from the same school, where we can lend a hand, advise, support.

After these reflections I return to the initial question: Why does God allow all this?

There may not be a single, convincing answer for everyone, but He invites us to ask Him in daily prayer. Let’s do it, it’s good. However, I find the answer in these same paradoxes, because it is sometimes necessary to withdraw to find yourself, lose a little to value what you have, share to receive more, make silence in the midst of so much noise to listen and listen to God and those we love, stop to redirect the path of life, stop selfishness to live in the logic of love, where pain and suffering is sometimes that way by which God speaks, screams, for us to see the valuable thing in life, let us remember that we need it and we need each other, because we are just family, we are YOUR family.

SOME IDEAS:

• What new things have you learned as a family during this time of quarantine? 
• A challenge together: each one make a list of virtues   or capacities that you admire the most from the other members of your family at this time and then with joy share it with each other.
• During lunch or dinner, in addition to blessing the food and sharing together, explicitly thank God for being able to be together and ask for those who suffer the most. 

Juan Pablo Marulanda
Tutor of High School Colegio San Pedro