The Problem of Pain

In creating humankind, Lewis believes that God granted each of us free will; that is, the intellectual freedom to choose a course of action for ourselves. Oftentimes, Lewis says, we exercise this free will in ways that are not beneficial to ourselves (addiction, for instance) or to others (dishonesty, for example). In doing so, we mimic the choice made by Adam in the Garden of Eden when he chose to disobey God, resulting in Adam and Eve’s banishment from Eden and the unity between God and mankind being forevermore destroyed.

Free will, as Lewis describes it, is both the gift to mankind and our ultimate torment. While God gave it to humanity as a means to foster a relationship, free will allowed the Fall and the separation of man and God. Lewis says that evil men desire freedom from God, but in seeking this freedom, they sentence themselves to eternal slavery in hell. Conversely, those who give up their souls and free will to do only the will of God find themselves eternally free in heaven: “[Those in hell] enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded and are therefore self-enslaved: just as the blessed, forever submitting to obedience, become through all eternity more and more free” (81).

Lewis intentionally doesn’t answer the glaring question of why God allows his creation free will when he believes we overwhelmingly use it to do ourselves and others harm. He states that that’s not the question he has decided to address in this book, denoting either a too-lengthy answer or some uncertainty. As free will is one major cause of pain, and thus the “problem” Lewis is addressing, this omittance stands out.

Ultimately, if we are to achieve the purpose God created us for, which is to occupy a place in heaven that has been specifically crafted for us, we must learn to consider God’s will above our own and act accordingly, Lewis argues. Pain serves to remind us that our free will is not infallible, and that we often choose poorly, because we neglect to seek and prioritize God’s will.

Lewis believes that God, who created the Earth and each of us, is wholly good. Furthermore, Lewis says, God loves us in a way that is profound. This love compels God to want the best for us, which means redemption and restoration to right relationship with God, because that is what every soul seeks. Thus, God’s love for humans is not a hands-off type of love, but rather an interactive love that sees our flaws and shortcomings and intervenes to help us repair them. Lewis compares this to the love of a father for a son or a husband for a wife, in that the authority figure in the relationship truly wants only the very best for the other and is willing to do whatever is necessary to help the other better him or herself.

The core argument of the book is that God, in his love and desire for a deeper relationship with us, corrects us. These corrections often result in pain, but that pain is not evidence of God’s disinterest or lack of caring, but just the opposite: The pain is proof that God loves us enough to take an active interest in each human being and do what is necessary to get our attention and remind us, again and again, that in order to be truly joyous, we must place God’s will above our own. Contrary to being evidence of a callous or uncaring God, pain is proof that God deeply loves and cares for each of us.

Lewis uses a biblical reference to describe the way God shapes his creation through pain: “Yet, O Lord, You are our Father and we are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Lewis continues this analogy throughout the book, considering God an artist who lovingly shapes His creation with the tools He has at his disposal, pain being the most prominent of these. Considering God as an artist who is never pleased with His craft until it is a representation of His will reveals a more nurturing and loving perception of God. Pain doesn’t mean God doesn’t love His creation, it means that He isn’t finished giving it the best form possible.

This concept of pain as guidance isn’t unique to the Christian world. Many modern ideas of creation and art suggest that the creator “harness” any past or current traumas for the sake of their future endeavors. For example, playwright August Wilson (1945-2005) said, “Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.” Wilson famously wrote plays that chronicled the pain so prevalent in the African American experience.