There’s a general underlying belief, spoken or unspoken, amongst many Mongolians that good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to people who’ve done wrong, or have hidden sin. Such beliefs underpin a merit-making society, whereby people through good acts gain acceptance and respect. Some even believe that careful good behaviour can divert misfortune.

While these convictions might be a part of the Mongolian culture, I do not believe that they are unique to Mongolia. To some degree, they exist in every culture. Most people want to be good, or at least be recognised for their fine character. It feels good to be good. Sometimes our virtuous behaviour leaves us with the impression that we understand misery, misfortune, and why others suffer.

Perhaps such judgements expose our fears or, conversely, affirm our self-image as we seek to convince ourselves that we really are in control of our lives. But world events speak to the contrary. We live in a broken world, which we do not control. Misery and misfortune come unbidden. And to my eye, seem unevenly distributed because the innocent still suffer.

The Bible tells us that God is sovereign, that His love is unconditional, that He is with us in anguish and heartbreak, and that He can use pain for our good and His glory. Such truth is an antithesis to a world that strategises ways to live beyond or eradicate suffering.

Yet we can neither live beyond pain nor eradicate it from our lives. But we do have a choice. We can live in anxiety, pain and paralysing fear, or we can trust God. In trusting God, we find peace and realise that He understands our despair because He has experienced it first-hand. He is not immune to misery and suffering.

God sent His son, Jesus Christ, into our world. He entered our history, identified with man’s misery and pain, until finally His Father allowed Him to be nailed to the Cross. There, He took the weight of the world’s sin and suffering upon Himself. In that act, God experienced our final agony. The Father was cut off from His Son, and the Son was cut off from His Father. The Son experienced the loss of His Father’s love.

Ultimately that’s what misfortune, suffering and death does. It separates and deprives us of our loved ones. Knowing that God has experienced this, gives us the opportunity to draw comfort from Him. We are not alone. He has walked this way before us. He walks with us now.

In our own strength, we cannot be good. We probably can’t explain the days we live in either. But there is one thing we can know with certainty: God is trustworthy. We can throw ourselves on Him for He will sustain us.

© copyright Gillian Newham 2020