Just Desert or Just Deserts?: God and Suffering in these Perilous Days

Abstract

This discussion approaches the question of God and human suffering in light of the work of Jamaican theologian Lewin Williams. It demonstrates that Williams rejects notions that suffering is a result of sin (just deserts) or is incapable of being grasped due to its meaningless nature (just desert). Human beings do not live in a just world, but in a tragic one. A tragic vision does not attempt to penetrate the opacity of evil by providing justifications of suffering. Rather, it recognizes that certain kinds of suffering are irredeemably unjust. Yet, unlike explanations that incorporate just deserts or just desert, a tragic sense burns strongly with a desire for justice, but burns even more fiercely with anger and pity at suffering. Suffering is at the core of tragedy and, according to Wendy Farley, “it witnesses to the power of absurdity or malice or sheer force to bring down what is noble and good.” Tragic vision reminds us that actions are performed in a context that is already tainted, disguised, lacking in moral neutrality, and even malevolent. In the end, the answer is not a theodicy but rather theodices, as one answer is not sufficient.