Why, God?

But I cry to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
Psalm 88:13-14

Doesn't it feel like this with all of us? Everyone asks the question of why. Why all this suffering? Why all this evil? What is interesting about the Judeo-Christian worldview is that it invites us to ask God these questions. Why, God? In Hinduism and Buddhism, suffering happens because of Karma. It's universal cause and effect. In Islam, it's all the will of Allah and to question his will would be bordering blasphemy. The question of why in naturalism isn't even justified. Richard Dawkins, an Oxford professor and the author of The God Delusion, says quite eloquently that, "The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at the bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, and no good; nothing but blind, pitiless indifference." There's no one to ask "why" to. The Bible, however, is full of questions from Godly people. David cried out to God,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Psalm 22:1-2

Those very words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" were uttered by our very own Lord and Savior, Jesus, when He was hanging on the tree. Those questions are invited. It shows that these things that cause suffering, misery, and our imperfect community with God ought not happen and deep down inside we know it. Christianity may not be able to actually answer the problem of suffering, but it at least justifies it.