This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering ...
The Barber Who Didn´t Believe
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:"I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber : "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
不信上帝的理发师
一个男士去理发店削剪头发和胡须。理发师剪发时，他们开始谈话。
他们谈了许多事和不同的话题，当他们话题最终触及到上帝时，理发师说：“我不相信上帝存在。”
“你为什么这样说？”顾客问。
“你走到外面街上，就会意识到上帝不存在。告诉我，若上帝存在，会有这么多病人吗？会有遗弃的孩子吗？若上帝存在，就不会有悲伤和疼痛。我无法想象一个充满爱的上帝会让这些事发生。”
这个顾客想了一会儿，没有回答因为他不想引发争论。
理发师理好发，顾客离开店。
离开理发店之后，他看见街上有个人留着很杂乱的长发和邋遢的胡须。他看上去很脏乱邋遢。
顾客又回到理发店对理发师说：“你知道吗？理发师不存在。”
“你如何能这样说？”理发师很奇怪地问，“我就在这儿，我是理发师。我刚给你理发。”
“不！”顾客大声说。“理发师不存在，因为若他们存在，就没有人会如门外那人一样，有脏乱的头发和邋遢的胡须。”
“噢，但理发师确实存在！若人不来找我理发，才会如此脏乱邋遢。”“正是这样！”顾客确定地说。“这正是关键！上帝也一样确实存在！当人们不去找寻他，不依靠他的帮助，就是为什么世界上有如此多的悲伤和疼痛的原因。”
God Will Save Me
It had been raining for days and days, and a terrible flood had come over the land. The waters rose so high that one man was forced to climb onto the roof of his house.
As the waters rose higher and higher, a man in a rowboat appeared, and told him to get in. “No,” replied the man on the roof. “I have faith in the Lord, the Lord will save me.” So the man in the rowboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.
The waters rose higher and higher, and suddenly a speedboat appeared. “Climb in!” shouted a man in the boat. “No,” replied the man on the roof. “I have faith in the Lord; the Lord will save me.” So the man in the speedboat went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.
The waters continued to rise. A helicopter appeared and over the loudspeaker, the pilot announced he would lower a rope to the man on the roof. “No,” replied the man on the roof. “I have faith in the Lord, the Lord will save me.” So the helicopter went away. The man on the roof prayed for God to save him.
The waters rose higher and higher, and eventually they rose so high that the man on the roof was washed away, and alas, the poor man drowned.
Upon arriving in heaven, the man marched straight over to God. “Heavenly Father,” he said, “I had faith in you, I prayed to you to save me, and yet you did nothing. Why?” God gave him a puzzled look, and replied “I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you expect than that?”
上帝会救我
在某个小村落，下了一场非常大的雨，洪水开始淹没全村，一位神父在教堂里祈祷，眼看洪水已经淹到他跪着的膝盖了。一个救生员驾着舢板来到教堂，跟神父说： “神父，赶快上来吧！不然洪水会把你淹死的！”神父说：“不！我深信上帝会来救我的，你先去救别人好了。”
过了不久，洪水已经淹过神父的胸口了，神父只好勉强站在祭坛上。这时，又有一个警察开着快艇过来，跟神父说：“神父，快上来，不然你真的会被淹死的！”神父说：“不，我要守住我的教堂，我相信上帝一定会来救我的。你还是先去救别人好了。”
又过了一会，洪水已经把整个教堂淹没了，神父只好紧紧抓住教堂顶端的十字架。一架直升飞机缓缓的飞过来，飞行员丢下了绳梯之后大叫：“神父，快上来，这是最后的机会了，我们可不愿意见到你被洪水淹死！！”神父还是意志坚定的说：“不，我要守住我的教堂！上帝一定会来救我的。你还是先去救别人好了。上帝会与我共在的！！”
洪水滚滚而来，固执的神父终于被淹死了……神父上了天堂，见到上帝后很生气的质问：“主啊，我终生奉献自己，战战兢兢的侍奉您，为什么你不肯救我！”上帝说：“我怎么不肯救你？第一次，我派了舢板来救你，你不要，我以为你担心舢板危险；第二次，我又派一只快艇去，你还是不要；第二次，我以国宾的礼仪待你，再派一架直升飞机来救你，结果你还是不愿意接受。所以，我以为你急着想要回到我的身边来，可以好好陪我。”
其实，生命中太多的障碍，皆是由于过度的固执与愚昧的无知所造成。
在别人伸出援手之际，别忘了，惟有我们自己也愿意伸出手来，人家才能帮得上忙的！
Now you know why God love kids so much...
