Why do you allow suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people? Because these two questions to God persist, suffering is one of the most common reasons for rejecting God. You've heard the statement, "I can't believe in a God who would let that happen."

The attempt to make sense of God's role in suffering is a monumental task. Sometimes the good we do leads to suffering and sometimes suffering just happens at random. We want suffering to make sense, but it can end up leading to more questions. There is an assumption that bad things should only happen to bad people, so when bad things happen to good people, we wonder if those people are actually bad.

When suffering occurs, we're focused on who is to blame. Because we're invested in the idea that bad things happen for a reason, we blame victims or we find a way to justify the suffering. Jesus wasn't interested in assigning blame. John's Gospel describes Jesus's encounter with a man who was born blind. When the disciples asked whether the man or his parents sinned, Jesus replied, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Then he healed the man.

Jesus takes a different approach to suffering. In John 11, he weeps with sisters Mary and Martha after learning their brother Lazarus has died. Jesus didn't blame the sisters for the death of Lazarus. Instead, Jesus grieved with Mary and Martha. In other words, he joined them in their suffering. When Jesus tells us, "Take up your cross and follow me," his message is twofold. Jesus is saying you will suffer—and I will with be with you. When we suffer, God joins us instead of taking our pain or grief away. A grieving widow once summed up the relationship between God and suffering when she told a group of friends, "Without suffering, there is no resurrection."

When people are grappling with injustices or disasters, they ask God, “Why do you allow evil to exist,” and “Can you stop evil?” Although there isn’t a precise answer to either of these questions, clues in Scripture provide some clarity. Guest speaker Patrick Meisen shares the insights he gained while examining these questions to God. Christian Apologetics, a branch of theology focused on defending and explaining Christian faith, phrases the question of evil another way: If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, then why is there so much suffering in the world? The relationship between evil and suffering exists, because evil can lead to suffering. Evil is classified as moral or natural. Humans are responsible for moral evil, and natural evil is the result of natural disasters or disease. The Bible includes examples of each. In the Book of Job, an innocent and upright man demands an explanation from God after a storm kills his children. And in the Book of Habakkuk, a prophet complains to God about persistent injustice in Judah and God’s seeming inaction.

When God responds in these stories, we learn that human knowledge is too limited to understand the full context of these events. Furthermore, we discover that it’s okay to question and lament while holding onto faith in God. When we suffer, God is there with us. God constantly works to prevent evil. God sent the Old Testament prophets to warn about evil and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Occasionally, God prevents evil through miracles. Most of the time, however, God heads off evil through us. When you see evil and it makes you angry, God is calling you to prevent it. Because God gave humans free will, it’s up to us to choose whether to do good.

God makes room when lives depend on it. Matthew's Gospel tells story of three magi who follow the Christmas star to find the stable where Jesus was born. King Herod, the story's villian is threatend by the birth of Jesus, so he tries to trick the Magi into revealing the baby's location. But God intervenes. In one dream, God advises Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Baby Jesus. And in another, God tells the Magi to travel home via a different route. Then the nightmare begins. When Herod realizes he's been tricked, he's so angry he orders the killing of all boys ages two and under. The slaughter of those little ones is known as the Massacres of the Innocents.

Rulers have historically used their power to hurt the innocent. Today, supression by the powerful continues, even in the United States. The 2017 and 2018 family separation policy allowed taking small children, including infants, from their parents and housing them for weeks in poor conditions. Last year, swarms of masked agents started arresting people with out due process during immigration raids at workplaces and in neighborhoods. Both of those directives have been difficult to witness, and now we're left to wonder what will happen after this weekend's events in Venezuela.

The description of Herod and the Innocents is difficult to take in, especially during the Christmas season. So why include such a sad story in the Gospels? Two reasons: iIt's honest and it shows the power of God's joy. The happiness of finding Jesus doesn't depend on life's circumstances, because no darkness if too much for the light of Christ. In frightening times, God's presence in our hearts can provide refuge.

Who understands you best right now? With Sanctuary relationhips, we can share joy, fear, and be our full selves. Both life-long and seasonal relationships can provide santuary. The most important sactuary relationship in which we are fully seen is with God, but we also need people who understand us. This is why God makes room for us to have relationships with one another.

Luke 1:24-45 describes the connection between Mary and Elizabeth, cousins who both became miraculously and unexpectedly pregnant. The older Elizabeth struggled with infertility for years, and Mary was a virgin teenager chosen to bear the Son of God. Despite their joy, both women feared scorn and judgement for their out-of-the-ordinary pregnancies. Mary and Elizabeth shared an experience that only they could understand.

God didn't call Elizabeth to be pregnant alone, and God didn't call Mary to be pregnant alone. God made room for a relationship in which the cousins were sanctuary for each other.

God is constantly making room in relationships, sending someone into our lives to bring insight and understanding. Sometimes that person is not someone we expect. And sometimes we reject this gift from God, because we don't see it coming. This week, Pastor Mia describes how we can use the Advent season to cooperate with God in making room for relationships.

Decluttering a house full of stuff is like repentance. When we let go of things we don’t need, we have a change of mind, then a change of heart, and finally a change of behavior. When we repent, we’re cleaning our hearts and souls. Simply put, repentance is a spiritual decluttering.

During the Advent season, repentance helps us prepare for the birth of Jesus by making room for God and those God loves. Repentance also gives us room to seek God and it gives us room for God to nurture us.

All of us have moments of worshiping the idol of self reliance. We tell God, “You can step back,” and then we struggle. When we finally repent and accept God’s care, we become capable of nurturing others. The core of nurturing others is actively showing interest in their perspectives, thoughts, worries, and giftedness, which makes them feel seen and heard.

This week, Pastor Mia explains that when we make room in our hearts, we can make room for acceptance. We can accept others as they are. We can accept ourselves and our failures. And we can accept God exactly as is. When we repent, we make room for new habits, room for new compassion, and room for wonder.

In Joshua 2:1-21, a woman named Rahab hid a pair of Israelites who were spying on the city of Jerico and the surrounding land. When pressure closed in, Rahab threw her loyality to God. Despite the risk, she provided sanctury to the spies and in doing so she changed her trajectory. When Rahab made room for the spies, she found refuge in God.

Sanctuary is a sacred or holy place, and it is a place of safety. We naturally provide sanctuary by standing in solidarity with others who are in peril. Regardless of whether we're directly affected by a crisis or being a supportive ally, standing in solidarity means we could take a hit because we've put ourselves close to those who suffer. Solidarity is a holy action. God demonstrated solidarity with us by taking on the risk of becoming the human, Jesus.

With the season of Advent now underway, God invites us to make room for others. However, the stress of preparing for Christmas grows in many forms. Will the shopping, baking, and gift wrapping be done in time? And for some us, offering hospitality during the Christmas season is daunting. Making space for a holiday get together is a challenge when you're going to be dealing with family tension. In this time of anticipation, Pastor Mia reminds that we can find our sanctuary in God because the Creator is making room for us as the pressure closes in.

The Ninth Commandment tells us, "Do not testify falsely against your neighbor." While God is commanding us to be honest, there's more to to consider. This week, Pastor Mia explains the meaning is twofold. Don't falsely accuse others of wrongdoing and don't back up false accusations.

When God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses, the Israelites lacked the necessary structure for learning how live with one another. After being freed from slavery, they needed a court system to deal with disputes almost instantly. The Ninth Commandment is a reminder that both truth and dishonesty have power. At its worst, false witness damages lives. Anyone in prison for crimes they didn't commit knows this devastation all too well.

Despite his many healing works, Jesus was a victim of false testimony. Matthew 26 describes how Jesus was put on trial by the high priests and Roman authorities for blasphemy. After struggling to find witnesses, two came forward and recounted Jesus saying, "I can destroy God's temple and rebuild it in three days." Jesus wasn't talking about a building used for worship. Instead, he was referring to the temple of his body. Jesus's enemies twisted his words to use them as the catalyst for his conviction and crucifixion.

Context matters. It did then and it does now. Besides its place in the judicial system, false witness finds its way into our daily lives and we might not realize it. Did you fact check the that eye-catching meme in your social media feed before sharing it? If not, you might've spread misinformation. That too, is a form of false witness. When we gossip, spread rumors, and reveal information shared in confidence, we've fallen off the Ninth Commandment's guardrails. God commands us to avoid false testimony, because he wants us to to be careful with our words. After all, as James 3 says, "Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth."

Being unfaithful in marriage is not an option for Jesus followers. God tells us, "You must not commit adultery" in the 7th Commandment. When couples are married, they promise to be loyal to one another. In others words, no affairs, no infidelity, and no sexual intercourse with another person.

Adultery was a problem in the ancient world and, despite declining for decades, it continues to be a problem. Adultery is not limited to sexual relationships outside of marriage. Non-physical affairs, pornagraphy addiction, and virtual relationsnips are all unfaithful. Adultery isn't limited to marriage. It occurs in committed relationships as well.

When Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mt. Sinai, the Hewbrews had a much different understanding of adultery. Then it was all about the behavior of women, who were considered property. Because wives were paid for with a bride price, the mindset was that a woman was being stolen from her husband if she committed adultery. Exposed adultery resulted in severe punishment — public execution for both the married woman and the man who stole her.

The theme of adultery is woven throughout the Bible. The book 2 Samuel describes King David's affair, three chapters of Proverbs are devoted to adultery, it's discussed in the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus refuses to condemn an adulterous woman in John 8. Instead, he points out our hypocrisy and quickness to judge others without addressing our own sinfulness. If you've committed adultery, Jesus is ready to forgive you.

Although the 7th Commandment specifically tells us to avoid adultery, Pastor Mia reminds us that faithfulness in marriage also requires sustained care. Do you pay attention to your spouse? Are you compassionate? Do you listen? Are you a good partner in managing household and family responsiblities? Do you express your love and does your spouse hear you? Faithfulness and this kind of love is a daily decision that requires our whole heart.