MSI Press Blog

  A Multifaith Reflection on Suffering and the Sacred It’s one of the oldest and most unsettling questions in human history: If God is good, why does evil persist? Why do the innocent suffer, the unjust thrive, and violence echo through generations? Every major religious tradition wrestles with this tension—not to solve it neatly, but to live with it faithfully. Here’s how some of them approach the paradox: ✝️ Christianity: Free Will and Redemptive Suffering Christian theology often frames evil as the consequence of human free will. God, in love, allows choice—even when that choice leads to harm. Suffering, while painful, can also be redemptive. The crucifixion of Christ is seen not as divine failure, but as a profound act of solidarity with human pain. Evil exists, but grace persists. 🕊️ Islam: Divine Wisdom Beyond Human Understanding In Islam, everything happens by the will of Allah, but not all is meant to be understood. Evil and suffering are seen as tests—opportunities for pa...

  Eschatology often conjures images of apocalypse, judgment, or cosmic upheaval. But at its heart, Christian eschatology is a theology of promise—a divine assurance that history bends toward restoration, not ruin. 🔭 The Horizon of Hope Eschatology invites us to live with the end in mind—not as a countdown to catastrophe, but as a compass pointing toward renewal. The promise of resurrection, the new creation, and the return of Christ reframes our present struggles. Pain is not the final word. Loss is not the last chapter. The horizon holds more than we can see. “The crucifixion of the subsequently resurrected Jesus… turns out to meet, in unexpected and suggestive ways, the puzzles of the ultimate questions asked by every culture.” —N.T. Wright, History and Eschatology source 🌱 Promise as Participation The eschatological promise isn’t passive. It calls us to participate in the unfolding of God’s future—through acts of justice, compassion, and community. In your household, ...

  We live in a world that prizes immediacy, clarity, and control. Yet life—especially in its most tender, chaotic, or mysterious moments—rarely offers any of these. What if the very complexity we resist is the doorway to deeper peace? Theological concepts like kenosis (self-emptying), the hypostatic union (divine and human natures in Christ), or the communion of saints aren’t just abstract doctrines for scholars. They are lenses—radical, reframing lenses—that can shift how we see illness, injustice, aging, and even our own limitations. 🌿 Kenosis: The Power of Letting Go In Philippians 2, Christ “emptied himself,” taking the form of a servant. This isn’t weakness—it’s divine strength expressed through vulnerability. When we face burnout, caregiving fatigue, or the loss of control in aging bodies, kenosis invites us to reframe surrender not as defeat, but as sacred participation. We become vessels, not victims. 🔥 The Trinity: Relationship as Reality The Trinity isn’t a puzzle...