Doctrine of Suffering: Why does God allows these sufferings on South Sudanese people for Centuries?
6 min readDoctrine of Suffering: Cor 4:9-10; 3:18. Why me? Why now? Why not others? What is God doing now? Are we cursed? Is God listening? Is God seeing? Is God deaf? Is God happy the way he is treating me/us? Can God rescue? Is God far away? Is God fair? Etc, frustration questions by your makings.
By David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
December 30, 2016 (SSB) — In South Sudan, thousands of first to third generations were asking questions that, if God is really powerful, wholly in control, perfect and loving, why does he allows such sufferings to occurs from generations to generations against South Sudanese people? The complaint had reached to the highest searching of psyche ached and many of our countrymen/women have concluded that national resources become a curse instead of blessings.
In 1821 – 2005, colonial masters ended their rules in Southern Sudan whereby in 1953 – 1954, the British indirect rule through chiefs was major impact affected South Sudanese politically and the South – North Sudan borders became one country as the Sudan got its independence in 1956, one year after Torit mutiny. The policy of core and periphery when Southern and Northern Sudan became one country occurred between the hierarchies of governance and so forth but Southern Sudan was suffered as so much infliction of unimagined sufferings and the population with its bountiful wealth was seen as marginalized politically, socially, economically, militarily, culturally, and spiritually.
From the below of 1956, Southerners partially politicians tried in 1947 Juba date lock conference to affixed political fate but they failed direction due to bribes and divisions among themselves. This step alone allow Anya Anya 1 and Anya, nya II to continued fought the war which they were been absorbed into the Sudan army with intention to disperse them in different cities of the Sudan. After ten years, the Addis Ababa peace accord collapsed and a statement of Japer Nimeri stalled peace and many Southerners rebelled in 1983 SPLA/M war with Khartoum which broke peace deal in 1999 – 2002 between Dinka, and Nuer, while high figures Dr. John Garang and Dr. Riek Machar agreement led with results of 2005 CPA, the 9th January 2011 successful Referendum, and the South Sudan independence in 2011.
Since South Sudan majority are Christian believers, many questions arise now and then and South Sudanese sufferings gave them bitter questions like a certain man one day who was asking silly question, “why am I faithful to God and I remained poor while those who worshipped idols grew rich and richest? As a social worker, it is so hard to reduce high expectations from the patients why they faithful ones to God who is the creator of Heaven, and the universe and everything in it, and why they remained poor when the wicked get rich and richest? And South Sudanese who are around me rise questions beyond Biblical demands.
But the above questions are philosophical. Why does God allow these sufferings on South Sudanese people for Centuries? Others even were reaching beyond their control. It is where they still questioning God, why do you created me a South Sudanese? A traumatic question which I heard one time from the mouth of my countryman, like if God was telling South Sudanese to waged war against themselves. Are we (south Sudanese cursed? It is the matter like the victims of pandemic diseases of HIV/AIDS asking why God? When it is paining. I think there is no any option when it is a consequence of what you had been doing or what had been done.
The answers are in philosophical perspective to why God? But in response, is like why transport convoy leader allow transit goods overturn on the road or near roadside? Why man children distinct in behaviours while from the same father and mother? Why somebody mistakenly injury dear own body? I think there are things beyond man control because we don’t drive lives or giving it. And that is why I complain much against rebels who kills people along high ways since April 2016 until today.
According to Biblical and theological perspectives, tragedies strike saint and sinner alike. Is God fair? In other word, we don’t have South Sudan for saints and a South Sudan of sinners. All of us share hunger alike, sickness strikes upon us together. We share economic crisis, and inflation together whether you have millions of South Sudanese Pounds, they are valueless. Fighting kills good and evil alike. Everything we share together as South Sudanese people does not distinguish in any nature. There is a meaningful reward behind it whether good or bad.
In 2 Corinthians 4:9-10 (King James Version (KJV) reads ,“Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” Suffering is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives. It is designed to build our trust in the Almighty, but suffering requires the right response if it is to be successful in accomplishing God’s purposes. Suffering forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources.
In 2 Corinthians 3:18 (New International Version (NIV), “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit”.
Therefore, man is a problem if not careful. That is why prisons are constructed to constraint as men’s schools behaviour. I think it is not because South Sudanese are unfavour by God but evildoers persuaded and influenced good people actions, and rights people are silent, while their actions are dysfunction. For south Sudan to come out from what look like curse, good people should work hard day and night to overcome evil actions, and direct the nation into new face of hope and trust. It is better to suffer but at the end you succeed.
The author is a co-founder of South Sudan Mental Health care Organization. He can reach at david.matiopgai@gmail.com.
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