Surely nothing tests the faith of the believer as muchas this - the sudden, frightening, violent death ofthose we love.There have been many attempts toreconcile intellectually such unbearable tragedieswith faith in a loving God. They range from the notwholly convincing to the quite appalling. The Bookof Job has both. When it says that we are meremortals so could not begin to understand the waysof God, perhaps there is some truth in it. But theidea that human tragedies are deservedpunishments for wrongdoing merely compoundsthe grief and pain.The ordinands I spoke with will need to take into their pastoral ministry arecognition that living by faith will sometimes mean being assailed by doubt. But they mightalso note this paradox of the human condition. When those most bitter and painful tragediesstrike us down, faith can be a consolation - sometimes the only consolation - even as at thesame time it's tested to breaking point.

确实，没什么比所爱的人惨遭横死更能考验一个人的信仰了。人们不断尝试将这些惨剧跟信仰上帝联系起来，跟《约伯记》一样，有些歪曲牵强，有些言之凿凿。它说，我们这些凡人是无法理解上帝的行事方式的，可能有那么点道理。但是因为人的恶行而遭受惩罚，只会加剧不幸和痛苦。神职预备人员必须让牧师公会知道，有信仰的活着必然会时不时的遭遇各种疑问，但这种自相矛盾本来就是人的一种状态。当我们遭受极端辛酸和痛苦的打击时，信仰是一种慰籍，有时候是唯一的慰籍，即便当时我们已处在信仰崩溃的边缘。