--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Where is God when it hurts? We know one…" description: "\"“Where is God when it hurts? We know one answer because God came to earth and showed us. You need only follow Jesus around and note how he responded to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/philip-yancey-840_belief_where-is-god-when-it-hurts-we-know-one-a_2732722.png" --- # Where is God when it hurts? We know one answer because God… ![“Where is God when it hurts? We know one answer because God came to earth and showed us. You need only follow Jesus around and note how he responded to the tragedies of his day: large-scale tragedies such as an act of government terrorism in the temple or a tower collapsing on eighteen innocent…” quote by Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/philip-yancey-840_belief_where-is-god-when-it-hurts-we-know-one-a_2732722.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/philip-yancey-840_belief_where-is-god-when-it-hurts-we-know-one-a_2732722.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60f/philip-yancey-840_belief_where-is-god-when-it-hurts-we-know-one-a_2732722.png) > ““Where is God when it hurts? We know one answer because God came to earth and showed us. You need only follow Jesus around and note how he responded to the tragedies of his day: large-scale tragedies such as an act of government terrorism in the temple or a tower collapsing on eighteen innocent bystanders; as well as small tragedies, such as a widow who has lost her only son or even a Roman soldier whose servant has fallen ill. At moments like these Jesus never delivered sermons about judgment or the need to accept God’s mysterious providence. Instead he responded with compassion – a word from Latin which simply means, “to suffer with” – and comfort and healings. God stands on the side of those who suffer. (pp.27-28/What Good Is God?)”” [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jesus responded to suffering with compassion and healing, showing God stands with the afflicted rather than delivering judgment. **In simple terms:** God shows compassion in pain. Key Takeaway Practice empathy toward those suffering. Themes compassion faith suffering healing theology Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - personal loss - natural disasters - war - illness - social injustice Key Concepts agape incarnation theodicy Questions to Reflect On - How can we embody compassion in crises? - What limits does compassion have? A Different Perspective Compassion may not solve systemic causes of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Follow Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-jesus/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“Where is the church when it hurts? If the church is doing its job—binding wounds, comforting the grieving, offering food to the hungry—I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/where-is-the-church-when-it-hurts-if-the-church-is-doing-its-job/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“As we rely on God, and trust his Spirit to mold us in his image, true hope takes shape within us, “a hope that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/as-we-rely-on-god-and-trust-his-spirit-to-mold-us-in-his-image-true/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [The point of the Book of Job is not suffering: where is God When It hurts? The prologue (chapters 1-2) dealt with that issue.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/the-point-of-the-book-of-job-is-not-suffering-where-is-god-when-it/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“don't wanna believe in a god .. that hurts .. that's unfair and let people being hurt. I don't believe in you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bishoy-yousef/don-t-wanna-believe-in-a-god-that-hurts-that-s-unfair-and-let-people/) Bishoy Yousef > [“I’ve got you baby,” she whispered. The pain inside was unbearable – worse than anything in his experience. He couldn’t breathe. “It hurts,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/i-ve-got-you-baby-she-whispered-the-pain-inside-was-unbearable-worse/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [“The more we believe that God hurts only to heal, the less we can believe that there is any use in begging for tenderness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-more-we-believe-that-god-hurts-only-to-heal-the-less-we-can/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [He's so perfect and I'm so fucked up but I can't help but think that one day he will come back and oh my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/he-s-so-perfect-and-i-m-so-fucked-up-but-i-can-t-help-but-think-that/) [Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/) > [Bad theology dishonors God and hurts people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/bad-theology-dishonors-god-and-hurts-people/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“When Heaven has an earthquake you fall to your knees and feel through the rubble to find the pieces of God. When my eternal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-lynn-pearson/when-heaven-has-an-earthquake-you-fall-to-your-knees-and-feel-through/) [Carol Lynn Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-lynn-pearson/) > [“I would not have been able to articulate it at that time, but I had begun a painful journey toward an impossible goal, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-lynn-pearson/i-would-not-have-been-able-to-articulate-it-at-that-time-but-i-had/) [Carol Lynn Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-lynn-pearson/) > [“Many things in life aren't fair, but we must learn to accept them as God's will and move on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-e-brunstetter/many-things-in-life-aren-t-fair-but-we-must-learn-to-accept-them-as/) [Wanda E. Brunstetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-e-brunstetter/) > [Regardless of the source of our pain, we must accept that God knows, God loves, and God is at work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/regardless-of-the-source-of-our-pain-we-must-accept-that-god-knows/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [The moment you accept God's ordering, that moment your work ceases to be a task, and becomes your calling; you pass from bondage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-clay-trumbull/the-moment-you-accept-god-s-ordering-that-moment-your-work-ceases-to/) [Henry Clay Trumbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-clay-trumbull/) > [We're told, everybody, that all things are bad. Bad is not good and good is not bad. Bad and good go together. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/we-re-told-everybody-that-all-things-are-bad-bad-is-not-good-and-good/) [Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/) > [“If you want those around you to accept God and His many gifts, first accept His love for you. Then help build an environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mangan/if-you-want-those-around-you-to-accept-god-and-his-many-gifts-first/) David Mangan ## More by Philip Yancey > [“God reproduces and lives out His image in millions of ordinary people like us. It is a supreme mystery. We are called to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/god-reproduces-and-lives-out-his-image-in-millions-of-ordinary-people/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. 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S. Lewis observed that almost all crimes of Christian history have come about when religion is confused with politics. Politics, which always runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/c-s-lewis-observed-that-almost-all-crimes-of-christian-history-have/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Having spent time around "sinners" and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/having-spent-time-around-sinners-and-also-around-purported-saints-i/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [We preach sermons, write books on apologetics, conduct city-wide evangelistic campaigns. For those alienated from the church, that approach no longer has the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/we-preach-sermons-write-books-on-apologetics-conduct-city-wide/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. 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If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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