This legitimate question arises as soon as we consider that the Source of our universe is an infinitely intelligent and loving “Being”. Many draw the conclusion that such a Being does not exist. If it did, it would be unable to tolerate the immense suffering experienced by human beings since the beginning of time.
Let’s try to unfold this perspective a little.
We create evil ourselves
The first point is to be fully aware that “Evil” is not an entity that imposes itself on us and compels us to harm others against our will. What we call “Evil” is simply the result of our own thoughts, words and actions. “Evil” is created by us humans. We are its initiators, authors, actors and perpetrators. [1]
How God could prevent us from doing evil
From there, the question becomes: what if God wanted to stop us from hurting each other? What would that look like?
- Should we feel so guilty about every evil thought that we censor it?
- Or that a loving, soothing thought fills our mind with strength to make our evil intention disappear?
- That before every violent word or gesture we receive an electric shock? Or that a superhuman being comes to close our mouths and twist our arms?
- And when it comes to doing evil by refraining from helping someone, should we be driven, against our will, to do this good, by an inner impulse or by someone who takes us by the hand without letting go?
What would be our freedom, our creativity, our beauty, our dignity?
How can we be free and responsible for our actions, a part of this infinitely loving and intelligent Energy?
A dead end
This is obviously a dead end: such a God would be nothing like a loving Being. He would simply be the tyrannical overseer of a crowd of irresponsible people, who could not be left alone and free for even a single second. [2]
In my opinion, the existence of evil does not prove the non-existence of God. Only that, if there is a God, he loves and respects us to the point of leaving us entirely free and responsible for our actions. [3]
A God on Olympus?
Some may also have the image of a God who leaves us free to do evil because He’s not affected by it. Like the gods of Greek or Roman mythology, He would be on His Olympus and say: let humans do as much evil as they want. I regret it, but it’s not my problem.
God is in us and we in Him
In fact, it is: that’s precisely his problem. For God is in each of us, and each of us is a part of God. This means that every time we hurt one or more of our fellow human beings, we’re hurting God. And every time one of us suffers from the evil done to us by others, it is God who suffers with us and in us. God is infinitely close to our suffering and pain, as well as to our happiness and joy. In a way, I believe that God suffers from Evil far more than we do, because He is constantly experiencing the totality of Evil that is done in humanity.
I am in each one of you
This is the meaning of Jesus’ parable in Matthew’s Gospel, in which God tells human beings: “I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me!”
Or, on the contrary: “I was hungry, and you didn’t give me anything to eat. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me. I was naked, and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.”
Very surprised in both cases, each of the people involved replies, “when did we see you and act this way towards you?”
Then God explains to them, “Whenever you have acted towards one of the least of these brothers of mine, to do him good or to do him harm or to let him suffer, you have done it to me.”
We are one with God
We are all part of the divine, and the divine is within us. That’s why whatever we do to others, we do to the divine. And also to ourselves. This is the meaning of another of Jesus’ sayings: “He who kills with the sword will perish with the sword”. The harm we do to others always ends up coming back to us, one way or another.
Because God loves us infinitely, he doesn’t force us to act in a certain way. He shows those who are interested the infinity of his love. And he tirelessly calls us to love as much and as unconditionally as he loves us.
The real question is: what do we do with His call?
[1] This does not prevent the existence of non-physical beings who delight in the evil we do and incite us to do it. These are what many traditions call demons.
[2] In my opinion, this also explains the negative IMEs. Those in which the experiencer encounters beings and situations that are frightening, painful and despairing. Because, in the other universe too, God respects our freedom. He doesn’t force us to be with Him. On the contrary, He leaves us free to be in a “place” in which He does not appear. It’s called hell… But the very moment we turn to Him and ask to return, He leads us to Himself. That’s what almost all of these experiencers describe: as soon as they call upon God, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed – or any other positive, loving figure – they come out of their hell.
[3] As far as I’m concerned, the existence of God is “proven” by the countless people who have encountered this infinite Energy of love and been marked by it for life. In this article, I tell the story of my own encounter.
To go further, I invite you to read the article on Nicole Dron’s book “How did you like it?”
