In light of Putin’s senseless attack on Ukraine, not to mention the manifold levels of pain Covid visited on the world, a number of people have asked me to explain how a loving God could allow such enormous levels of suffering. Even Yogananda occasionally asked, “Why, Lord?” I do not pretend to be able to give answers that would perfectly satisfy the dualistic mind. Having said this, the world’s religions offer us a great deal of wisdom on the theme of suffering.
As a starting point, we must remember what both Yogananda and the Bible tell us: “God is love.” We have been created for love, that is, to receive love, to experience love, and to give love. We become fully ourselves only to the extent we love. By contrast, when we close ourselves off from love, we create suffering for ourselves and others. The caveat is this: there is no love without the freedom to reject love. Otherwise, we would be nothing more than biological machines. In giving us the gift of free will, God rolled the dice at the time of our creation.
What is true above is true below. I have adult children. When I chose to father them, I had the highest hopes for their futures. To the best of my ability, I did what I could to help them reach their full capacity to live lives of love and virtue. Yet, I knew their ultimate destiny was in their own hands. Indeed, all parents roll the dice when they choose to have children. We do so because we believe in the power of love to endure, in the light of hope in the midst of darkness, and ultimately, in the power of good to triumph over evil. We love even as God loves.
Divine Beloved,
In the greatest of love,
You gave us the gift
Of the freedom to reject you
