If God had not created the human race at all, then there would have been no human suffering and no problem. But he did create it, and we have to start from there. The question that arises is how he has dealt with the problem which results indirectly from his own action of creating human beings.

What God did was to assume personal responsibility for his creation of the human race, but without taking from them their freewill and turning them into a race of robots. Instead, he saw suffering as a symptom of which human wickedness was the cause, and he dealt with the cause. In the words of the hymn:

“Thou, grieving that the ancient curse
Should doom to death a universe,
Hast found the medicine, full of grace,
To save and heal a ruined race.

Thou cam’st, the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew the world to evening-tide;
Proceeding from a virgin shrine,
The spotless Victim all divine”. (1)(our emphasis)

Spotless Victim! That brings us straight to Passiontide and to the mystery of innocent suffering which Jesus willingly embraced, in fulfilment of his Father’s will, as part of his mission of love to save sinners. When the sinless Son of God entered this evil world and testified against its evil, it was inevitable that the rulers of the world would do away with him. The Crucifixion, therefore, was the cost to him of his love for the world. But it was something more: it revealed that love in the most public and poignant way and will for ever make its personal and irresistible appeal to all those who have ears to hear, and eyes to see, and hearts to be touched – that same appeal which caused St Paul to exclaim in wonderment, “…the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (NRSV, Galatians 2:20, our emphasis).