Why do bad things happen to good people?

I've found myself mulling over these very words during the past few days for a number of reasons and it takes me back to a little book written by Harold S. Kushner, "When bad things happen to good people".

In the book it states that life is not fair. The wrong people get sick and the wrong people succumb to violent crime or are taken away from us in war and accidents far to suddenly and in an untimely manner.

As the book states "None of us can avoid the problem of why bad things happen to good people. Sooner or later, each of us finds themselves playing one of the roles, whether a victim of tragedy, as a member of the family, or as a friend-comforter. The questions never change; the search for a satisfying answer continues."

For me the book provides me with an important change of direction with regards to my thinking;

"The question of why bad things happen to good people translates itself into some very different questions, no longer asking why something happened, but asking how we will respond, what we intend to do now that it has happened".

It goes on to say,

"are you capable of forgiving and accepting in love a world which has disappointed you by not being perfect, a world in which there is so much unfairness and cruelty, disease and crime, earthquake and accident? Can you forgive its imperfections and love it because it is capable of containing great beauty and goodness, and because it is the only world we have?

Are you capable of forgiving and loving the people around you and let you down by not being perfect? Can you forgive them and love them, because the penalty for not being able to love imperfect people is condemning oneself to loneliness?"

This change in thinking hit me hard in 1995. To be exact, December 21st 1995 when as a young traffic police officer I attended the scene of a serious road accident involving a 3 yr old child being driven to a Christmas party by his father. A truly loving father determined not to disappoint his excited son who simply wanted to be with his friends and to see Santa Claus. The car slid in the sudden and unexpected snowy conditions and hit an oncoming lorry. As a result of the collision the boy sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where his life hung by a thread over the Christmas period. He tragically lost that fight and sadly passed away on 2nd January. Why should such a beautiful family be exposed to such tragedy and trauma. It just simply didn't make sense. Why should such bad things happen to such good people?

From this awful tragedy I learnt so much about myself, family and about human nature, kindness and forgiveness. The relationships that were fostered as a result of these horrendous circumstances still endure with the exchange of Christmas cards and goodwill each and every year. Not a Christmas has been missed since 1995. The years may have now passed but the lasting memories of Christmas 1995 still remain and I am proud to have been of some assistance in their hour of need.

A private note, received unexpectedly some weeks after the tragedy said it all and it still stands as the most important police work that I ever accomplished...

Policing is a wonderfully unique career. You have both the fortune and misfortune to witness and experience every facet and every extreme that life's rich tapestry can throw at you, it comes with the nature of the job. On occasions, you may even have to experience being in the presence of evil, not only from outside the police family but also on occasions sadly from within it!

I also have absolutely no doubt that as a result of those experiences every police officer, at some point during their career, has asked themselves the searching question , "why do bad things happen to good people?".

Not every Christmas pans out for people as it should or adheres to that picture perfect image on the Christmas card or in the TV advert. This Christmas just take a moment to stop and look around you, take a deep breath and appreciate what you have, not materially but emotionally. Who is going to provide you with that all important support and advice, a shoulder to cry on, someone who will listen to your troubles and be non-judgmental? And who are you going to forgive and attempt to understand their woes, being there to listen to understand and to offer support when requested?

This world of ours "is capable of containing great beauty and goodness" we just need to find it and nurture it...