When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Bad things can happen to anyone, even good people. Bad things include misdeeds by others that cause great harm; they also include random events, like hurricanes and auto accidents, that cause damage and suffering. Religious people often believe misfortune is a punishment visited by God upon humans, so that an accident that causes loss or death is really God’s way of punishing us over some bad behavior. Kushner believes that, on the contrary, God does not intervene in human affairs, neither causing nor preventing bad things from happening. Instead, people must grapple with the aftermath of tragedy through their own efforts. For this process, God stands ready to give love and support, a view that explains many of the stories of people who find surprising strength in overcoming adversity. 

When bad things happen, the agony can be too great to bear, and people cast about for someone to blame—even pinning fault on themselves—so that life can seem to make sense again. Blame, though, causes people to become bitter, and it can prevent them from completing the journey from loss back to wholeness. Kushner recommends that people find a way to forgive those who have caused hurt, including