Why does God allow suffering?
This is the hardest question, and Christians don’t have a neat answer. The Bible doesn’t pretend suffering is fine; whole books, like Job and many Psalms, are honest cries of pain.
Some suffering comes from human choices. God made us free to love, which means we’re free to harm. Some comes from a world the Bible says is “groaning”, not yet as it should be.
The Christian answer is ultimately a person: in Jesus, God didn’t stay distant from suffering. He entered it, was betrayed, tortured and killed. And he rose, promising that one day he will wipe every tear away. God doesn’t explain all our pain, but he shares it and he will end it.
From the Bible
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. 19For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. 23Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:18–23
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:4