There is no spiritual freedom without consequence. Evil is the necessary consequence that forces us to search for our spiritual God given inheritance. If there were only pleasure and no pain, we would not search. Because this world was created by God for soul-making, evil is a necessary ingredient to be experienced.
The eternity of God is absolute freedom. Our mission in this world is to experience the lack or scarcity of freedom (bondage) so that eternity, when presented to us, will be affirmed in our soul or centeredness. It matters little how much of eternity we taste in this world as long as we taste the pain, be it physical, emotional, mental or spiritual. All of whom will never be a blind alley. Should we not pray, therefore, Lord God, bring it on!
(My take on the thought of: John Hick, "Evil and the God of Love", Revised Edition, 1978.)
G. Goslaw
Landers, Ca.
