People often doubt the existence of God or the goodness of God because they believe God has allowed evil to enter the world. There is a subtle distinction that I believe is crucial in this context. God did not allow evil in the world; rather, God allowed the possibility of evil to enter the world. Without the possibility of evil, there can be no free will, and if there is no free will there can be no goodness, virtue, or love; we are just biological machines. The best and most admirable people I know have had struggles in their lives which required them to fight against tremendous odds and resist alluring temptations. Their noble fight helped to divinize their lives. We can rail against a God who allows for the possibility of evil, or we can join God in the heroic adventure of birthing a new world, one grounded in the forces of truth, beauty, and goodness. Meditate on Yogananda’s inspired words, “Through life’s challenges you learn life’s lessons. Challenges are not meant to crush you but to help you develop your powers. They come through the natural law of progress, so that you might advance from lower to higher levels of spiritual attainment.”
Beloved God,
You gifted us with free will,
And I use that will
To choose you.
