Why Do We Suffer? The Question That Shakes Faith to Its Core

When catastrophe strikes, humanity returns to an ancient question: Is this God’s judgment? In this episode, we journey back to the 14th-century Black Death to explore how one of history’s most devastating pandemics shook faith, reshaped belief, and revealed radically different spiritual responses. From the dramatic penitent processions of the flagellants to the quiet courage of clergy who stayed behind to care for the dying, the crisis exposed both the fragility and the depth of human faith. Drawing parallels with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we reflect on how suffering challenges belief, deepens compassion, and forces us to confront timeless questions about God, justice, and human responsibility. The episode also explores the inspiration behind the historical novel Sages, Saints and Sinners , a story of love, doubt, and spiritual struggle set in a world that believed the end had arrived. What happens to faith when the world begins to collapse—and what remains when certainty disappears? #FaithAndHistory Useful Information: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sages, Saints and Sinners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deep Walking for Body Mind and Soul⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Walking on Edge: A pilgrimage to Santiago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You can listen to Why Do We Suffer? The Question That Shakes Faith to Its Core online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Why Do We Suffer? The Question That Shakes Faith to Its Core is an episode from Living to Be: A podcast by Reino Gevers by Reino Gevers.

This episode is 00:05:45 long.

This episode was published on Mar 15, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Living to Be: A podcast by Reino Gevers when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.