--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Lord did not create suffering. Pain…" description: "\"The Lord did not create suffering. Pain and death came into the world with the fall of man. But after man had chosen suffering in preference to the joy..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/thomas-merton-231_chosen_the-lord-did-not-create-suffering-pain-a_1530924.jpg" --- # The Lord did not create suffering. Pain and death came… ![“The Lord did not create suffering. Pain and death came into the world with the fall of man. But after man had chosen suffering in preference to the joys of union with God, the Lord turned suffering itself into a way by which man could come to the perfect knowledge of God.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/thomas-merton-231_chosen_the-lord-did-not-create-suffering-pain-a_1530924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/thomas-merton-231_chosen_the-lord-did-not-create-suffering-pain-a_1530924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/thomas-merton-231_chosen_the-lord-did-not-create-suffering-pain-a_1530924.jpg) > “The Lord did not create suffering. Pain and death came into the world with the fall of man. But after man had chosen suffering in preference to the joys of union with God, the Lord turned suffering itself into a way by which man could come to the perfect knowledge of God.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering is presented as a consequence of humanity’s fall, yet it can become a path to deeper divine knowledge when embraced. **In simple terms:** Suffering can lead to knowing God. Key Takeaway Embrace suffering as a spiritual teacher. Themes theology spirituality suffering redemption Mood reflective hopeful serene Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - grief counseling - spiritual retreats - theological study - pastoral care Key Concepts Divine pedagogy theodicy union with God Questions to Reflect On - How can one discern when suffering is a teacher versus a trap? - What practices help transform pain into insight? A Different Perspective Suffering may also cause alienation or despair if not guided wisely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Knowledge of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-of-god/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Preference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preference/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-pain/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The truth that many people never understand until it is too late is that the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-truth-that-many-people-never-understand-until-it-is-too-late-is-2/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Hence the aim of meditation, in the context of Christian faith, is not to arrive at an objective and apparently 'scientific' knowledge of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/hence-the-aim-of-meditation-in-the-context-of-christian-faith-is-not/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Our knowledge of God is perfected by gratiitude: we are thankful and rejoice in the experience of the truth that He is love...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/our-knowledge-of-god-is-perfected-by-gratiitude-we-are-thankful-and/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“How deluded we sometimes are by the clear notions we get out of books. 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