The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-07-31

!
A All Mons Seek"
One Of the great writer's and
thinkers Of tho 10th century called
Job an all mems book" Just 8
year or 90 ago q distinguished
American writer produced a play.
y. b." based directly on the book
Of Job. This book speaks to people
who never read any other book OF
the Bible. Most Of the Old Tesla
ment Il distinctly Jewish (not that
this Is a mark against it,: but the
book Of Job IL not Jewish. There
IL In it no mention Of the promised
Land. or Of the people made famous
In Hebrew history. There il no
reference to the temple nor to it,
sacrifices, no quotation from any
prophet. In fact Job Is not repre-
scented AZ oven being a Hebrew
himself. He IL one OF the Children
a the East, in Jewish eyes
foreigner. There b nothing to at
tach the book to any particular
place or time. For the problem
dealt with hero and It is indeed
. problsm play In . profound sense
~ your problem and mine and
everybody's.
pysIsgue In Hsavsn
The theme and the problem is
suffering. Every human being
either suffers personally or has to
watch the suffering Of those he
loves. But this 10 more of a puzzle
to religious persons The non-re-
ligious person can shrug It Of. de-
eide to grin and bear It, and say,
We'll what can you expect? We
are caught IN this vast universe
like : ny in : printing press, no
wonder ~ get crushed. No ma
chine cares for what It mashes.
But the religious person believes
in q God who ID all-powerful. all
wise, all-merciful All creatures
are tn his hand. the whole world
IL in his hand a. the song says.
So then why doesn't he prevent
suffering. II he can?
This is the problem; but 1t Is not
discussed as a professor or theolo-
gian might discuss it, In an essay.
It IL put into the form Of 4 dra-
matte poem.
It begins with a prologue in
heaven. Gods sons have come to
see him, and among them Is Satan.
God asks Satan where he has been.
and Satan says on the earth. God
aslu him il he has seen that good
man, Gods servant Job. "a blame
less and upright man" Satan says
yes, but no doesn't think much OF
Job. God pays Job well for being
good; who wouldn't be good" for
the prosperity and happiness which
Job enjoys? Take away the pros
perity and happiness, and then
you'll see Job throw his goodness
away In the whirlwind; he win re-
nounce God to his face.
MaR's Faith In God
Satan has no faith In Job; but
God has. God lets Satan bring ca
lamity after calamity on Jobs
head, quite sure that Job will hold
true. And Job doss hold true. His
faith stands the test. But mean
while there II 4 tremendous and
agonizing wrestling with the prob
lem. Job has three friends who
come to comfort" him but all they
do IL debate. They believe that all
suffering IL caused by sin, and
therefore all Job has to do IL re-
pent and his troubles viii vanish
He knows that his sins have not
brought on these troubles, 30 how
can he repent? So begins the great
debate. This IL not a book for chill
dren, 1t Is for grown people who
have wrestled with pain. grief and
bitterness. The reader should try
to read Job for himself, and see
how It comes out. One striking
fact: The question. Why do good
men suffer? IL never really an
swered in the book: It u unique
in the Bible in raising q great
question It does not answer. But
two great truths stand out: Gods
faith In his servants, and Gods
servants faith IN God.
(HsseA On outlines eepy1igkteA b.
the Division Of Christian Eduestlen,
Nstienal Council q ~ ChufeAes 81
Christ II he o. B. 4. 4Alease6 ~
Cemnuaitv Press Se9viee.D