It was in a morning tutorial, in medical sch, and as usual, the student who sits directly opposite Prof Commey, Wolots3(as popularly known), is the most daring student, ready to answer any question from him!! and sitting there unaware, was me, clouded and burdened by thoughts on a wicked life that seeks nothing else in man, than to steal his joy!
And his style and routine, was usually for us to ask him any question of interest, related, or not related to medicine, as opening up, to the tutorial of the day.
What a bright opportunity, I whispered to my self, then raised my hand up, and was given the forum.
Prof, I have other “lead questions”, to put us on a level ground, before my question.
He twisted his mouth , rubbed his chin in his usual style and said, “go ahead”.
Me: Prof, do you believe in God? as creator of the universe, the earth and all that is in it?
Prof: yes I do.
Me: Great.
Me: Do you believe in all the attributes of God: omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, ( that God is everywhere, knows everything, can do everything, does only good, can do no harm, wants only our good and happiness)???
Prof: Yes I do, his index finger still rubbing his chin,
Me; okay, my question is, “WHY IS THERE SUFFERING IN THE WORLD THEN?: why do we go through pain, why is there suffering, why do people have to fall sick, suffer in pain before dying, ??...i could continue, but tried to pause and have his answer.
To my admiration, and the most briliant answer ever i had for this question was “I DONT KNOW”. ( i had ask my parish priest, other lecturers and colleagues, etc, and they usually approach it similarly, and unconvincingly; they try to use Bible and the word of God to justify the unjustifiable, and not only did i disagree with these theologians, i feel they are either dumb, or are too corrupted by their believe in God that they dont want to think outside/against God/God’s word. I lived in a mixture of disappointment, frustration and rebellion, wondering why no one really thinks like me, and whether no one really feels how i feel.
It was therefore quite consoling to hear the most briliant professor say that he doesnt know.
Prof proceeded in defence of his answer,as if i was not contend already.
The potter (man) invents pots, he uses clay to design his pots, subject it to intense heating in an oven, and beautifully they turn out, according to his own desire and likeness. He likes the pots, and decides to use each for what so ever he desires to. He molds some into cups from which he drinks water, wine, milk, etc, some into cooking pots, put on fire to cook his food, heat his water for tea, bathing etc, yet some he designs them beautifully and keeps them just for his admiration, some he breaks and refashion them for his intents etc. ...I was listening , and casting my mind all over the possible conclusion he seeks to make. ....he continued; the potter(man) though a mere inventor, is far more sensible than his inventions , so much so that he considers his inventions to be insensible, and truly so, these inventions have not brains, has no what it takes to understand a mere inventor. So the pot might wonder; he(man, invented me, he molded, why does he has to heat me in the oven, why does he not keep me in his living room for admiration only, why does he put me on fire everyday, why does man , my maker make me suffer????
Isn’t that the question you are asking me now???(he queried), and in the affirmative, I nodded.
He said : good!, and continued:
God is a creator, not a mere inventor who uses what an unimaginably omnipotent God brought into existence out of nothing, just as how He created man out of nothing!!! Therefore, if the knowledge gap between the pot(an invention) and man(an inventor) is that vast to warrant that the invention does not understand the inventor, how much more, how vast the knowledge gap between the creator (God) and His Creatures(man) is!!!!
Just as man burns his pots to complete their design and beauty, could that be said of the sufferings of men, as creatures of God? Just as man uses his handiwork’s for his desire, and existence, could that be said of the relationship b/n God and man? No one can tell, no one can make sense of Theodicy, except to accept it the way it is, for we are mere creatures.
These were the words of Prof Oliver Commey, words that made the most meaning for my life, and the lives enduring in pain.
: “I am a mere creature and should not seek to understand God”
Prof Oliver Commey, I am sure by now you are no longer a mere creature, you are in union with God, before his feet. If I were to ask the same question of why there is suffering, the answer surely would not be “I don’t know “, Now that your mortal boundary has broken apart, now that your spirit is in union with God, I surely believe you know why we are living the lives we live here, lives whose joy and beauty is seemingly robbed by suffering.
REST IN PEACE, PROF OLIVER COMMEY. REST IN PEACE, WOLOTS3.
joseph
7th December 2019