Podcast Summary: Unashamed with the Robertson Family

Episode 1274 | Why Would a Good God Allow This Much Suffering?

Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts: The Robertson Family (Phil, Al, Jase, Zach, and guests)
Main Theme: Wrestling with the problem of suffering and evil as Christians, anchored by C.S. Lewis’ works The Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed, and the challenge of faith in a world full of suffering.

Episode Overview

The Robertson family tackles one of Christianity’s most challenging questions: “Why would a good God allow so much suffering?” Using insights from their own lives and the writings of C.S. Lewis—especially The Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed—the hosts explore both philosophical reasoning and raw personal grief. This episode is part of their ongoing study with Hillsdale College and aims to offer authentic, biblically grounded reflections for anyone wrestling with faith and pain.

Valentine’s Day Traditions and Setting the Tone (00:01–07:17)

• The episode opens with the family discussing their unique approaches to Valentine’s Day traditions—ranging from elaborate gestures to “setting the bar low” in marital expectations.
• Personal anecdotes highlight relational dynamics and setting expectations.
• A humorous story from Zach about forgetting his wife's birthday illustrates imperfection and provides a segue into deeper questions about suffering and relational disappointment.

Quote:
“Early on, set the bar low when you first get married. If you set it really low, then anything above the bottom is advancement.”
– Zach (01:51)

Segue to the Problem of Pain and Suffering (07:17–08:41)

• The family transitions to C.S. Lewis’ The Problem of Pain, noting that this book tackles a foundational objection to faith: “Why would a good and all-powerful God permit pain and evil?”
• Zach articulates the classic formulation:
  • If God is all-powerful and all-good, why is there suffering?
  • If suffering exists, is God not all-good or not all-powerful? (10:49)

The Intellectual vs. Pastoral Approach to Suffering (08:41–11:55)

• Al reflects on his pastoral experience comforting those in crisis, pointing out that intellectual answers rarely help when pain is fresh.
• The group distinguishes between philosophical arguments and the need for presence and empathy in practical ministry.

Quote:
“When you’re dealing with people that are hurting… the intellect pretty much goes out the window. In a practical side, it’s just hard. I’ve never been able to live there. Something comes down to trust.”
– Al (09:14)

Personal Wrestling with Suffering and Faith (11:55–14:53)

• The hosts discuss their own battles with spiritual disappointment—especially unresolved prayer, suffering in ministry contexts, and expectations of divine protection.
• A recurring theme: directing anger toward God versus the enemy (Satan), and learning to shift one’s focus in prayer.

Quote:
“For me, I kind of got in this cyclical cycle of just cutting out the middleman and just going straight for the source that’s able to prevent that… shifting my prayer life in a negative way, kind of like what C.S. Lewis talks about.”
– Christian (12:07)

The Purpose of Pain: Awakening and Transformation (14:53–18:34)

• The group reflects on Lewis’ famous “pain is God’s megaphone” analogy, discussing pain as both a tool for awakening and transformation.
• Al uses an analogy from Equalizer 2: “There’s two kinds of pain: pain that hurts and pain that alters.”

Quote:
“Sometimes the only way things can be put to death is through some painful way to get there.”
– Al (16:44)

• Transition to how Jesus’ suffering and resurrection reframes Christian understanding of pain—not bypassing suffering but finding transformation on the other side.

Suffering, the Cross, and Identifying with Christ (18:34–21:59)

• Deep dive into Jesus’ crucifixion: He not only predicted his resurrection but also fully endured the pain and abandonment, offering a model for Christians.
• Zach and Al share personal family experiences with loss and grief, each processing parental suffering differently.
• The conversation highlights Ecclesiastes (“God has put eternity in the hearts of men”) and how pain can wake us to our mortality and need for God.

Analogies from Everyday Life and Storm Stories (22:06–26:39)

• The family recounts enduring a major storm in Louisiana, using their vulnerability and lack of control as a metaphor for how pain exposes our limits and dependence on God.
• Even the best-laid preparations fail in new crises, underlining the unpredictability of suffering.

C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and Suffering as Participation with Christ (26:39–29:08)

• Lewis (influenced by George MacDonald) saw Christ’s suffering as an invitation—not to avoid our pain, but to learn how to suffer with hope and purpose.
• The focus is on suffering not as pointless, but as a means toward a greater joy and transformation.

Dualism vs. Christian Theology (29:08–33:56)

• The conversation addresses a misconception: portraying God and Satan as equal powers in opposition (dualism).
• Christian theology, as articulated by Lewis, denies dualism: Satan is a created being, not God’s equal.
• The “problem of evil” is not evidence of God’s weakness, but the result of created beings’ (angels’ and humans’) misuse of free will.

Quote:
“It is not these two ever-existing, competing powers… Satan was a created being.”
– Zach (31:05)

The Origin of Evil and God’s Mercy in the Fall (33:56–37:15)

• Evil doesn’t originate with God; it’s the rejection of His revelation and love—by angels (including Satan) and by humans.
• Expulsion from Eden, though painful, was an act of grace preventing humanity from living eternally separated from God in sin.

Lessons from The Problem of Pain: Three Purposes of Suffering (37:15–38:54)

• Al summarizes three lessons from Lewis:
  1. Pain shows bad men where they’re wrong.
  2. Pain shows all people their need for God.
  3. Pain teaches all people to choose good for its own sake.

Quote:
“To show all people to choose good for its own sake… sin is never an advantage. It only hurts.”
– Al (38:34)

Contrasting The Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed (38:54–46:00)

• The group notes the difference between intellectualizing pain (The Problem of Pain) and being overwhelmed by personal grief (A Grief Observed).
• Reading Lewis’ anguished diary after his wife’s death, they reflect on the limits of philosophy; authentic faith includes lament and honest wrestling with God—just like Job did.

Quote (Reading Lewis):
“One may think that a Christian should not think such thoughts, but Lewis would argue that he is only doing what Job does… showing God what was actually in his heart.”
– John Luke (39:54)

On Grief, Honesty, and Spiritual Encouragement (46:00–48:10)

• The family appreciates Lewis’ humility—not casting himself as the hero, but as someone who struggles sincerely.
• Encouragement to approach leadership and faith with authenticity, not pretense.

Final Reflections: God as Love and the Mystery of Suffering (47:26–48:10)

• Zach draws together the problem of suffering and the nature of God as love, referencing 1 John 4:8 and 4:10.
• The existence of suffering points back to the relational nature of God, and true love requires the freedom to choose—even tragically, to reject.

Quote:
“He has created us with relational capacity. To be in relationship does mean that we have a choice, and when we do, that is the essence of what evil is… The fact that evil exists… ends up backing us right back into the truth that God is love.”
– Zach (47:26)

Notable Quotes

• C.S. Lewis (read by Zach):

“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” (42:43)

• On Christ’s Suffering:

“He enters into incredible human suffering, then he’s vindicated through the resurrection.” – Zach (19:13)

• On Intellectual vs. Emotional Pain:

“He starts A Grief Observed saying, ‘Where is God? Go to Him when your need is desperate, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face.’” – Christian (46:00)

Key Timestamps

• 00:01 – Opening & Valentine’s Day stories
• 07:17 – Introduction to The Problem of Pain and the “problem of evil”
• 08:41 – Pastoral approach vs. intellectual argument on suffering
• 11:55 – Hosts’ personal wrestling with faith amid suffering
• 14:53 – Pain as a teaching and transformative tool
• 18:34 – Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection as model
• 22:06 – “Storm” analogies for human powerlessness
• 26:39 – Lewis & MacDonald: Suffering with Christ
• 29:08 – Dualism vs. Christian theology on evil and Satan
• 33:56 – Origin of evil and the mercy of Eden’s expulsion
• 37:15 – Three lessons of pain (The Problem of Pain)
• 38:54 – Comparing The Problem of Pain & A Grief Observed
• 46:00 – Grieving authentically; Lewis’ humility
• 47:26 – Concluding reflections: suffering, love, and God’s nature

Tone and Takeaways

The episode’s tone is raw, honest, and pastorally insightful—moving seamlessly between laughter, vulnerability, and deep theological reflection. The hosts are unafraid to share doubts and disappointments, modeling a humble, relational faith.

Listeners are encouraged to pursue honest questions with God, to see suffering as neither a sign of God’s absence nor His cruelty, but as an invitation to deeper trust and relationship, anchored in the ultimate love shown in Christ.

Want More?

Listeners are invited to join the Robertsons’ ongoing Hillsdale College course series and to look forward to next week’s discussion on “Heaven and Hell,” featuring Lewis’ Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce.

End of Summary.