The book of Job – ancient wisdom For the teacher… All pupils when thinking about God or atheisms might engage with the problem of evil: if there is one great God full of love, why is it such a hell of a world? Use this presentation with the work on suffering from the RE Today book ‘Essential RE: Happiness’ (Edited by Stephen Pett, 2015) which explores the question: ‘what do we do when unhappiness comes?’ It’s an audio version of the narrative of the book of Job, supported by Si Smith’s rather special artwork.

Ancient wisdom When unhappiness comes… The story of Job in triptychs by Si Smith Dare2engage with RE Today How do we respond when unhappiness comes?

There lived a man in ancient East called Job, good and honest in everything, a fine worshipper of God, whose roll of life’s dice was a double six. 5000 cattle, 3000 camels and 500 donkeys, 7 sons and 3 daughters.

Came Satan to the court of God, who asked: ‘Seen Job Came Satan to the court of God, who asked: ‘Seen Job? Honours me in everything.” “Yeah, and why wouldn’t he? Take his stuff and he’ll curse you” replied the cynic, the Satan

God allowed it. His herds raided, his flocks stolen, and all his children hit by the whirlwind. Poor Job’s life, devastated in a day

“Naked I came into the world. Naked I will return to the dust “Naked I came into the world. Naked I will return to the dust. We accept good things from God, so why not evil too? “ Job’s anguish was deep, but he did not curse God.

He furiously denied it: “I’m no worse than any other” Came Job’s three friends to sit with him in his agony, and did not speak for 7 days. But then the discussion: “Was it your own fault Job?” He furiously denied it: “I’m no worse than any other”

“I wish the day my mum and dad made love and conceived me had never existed. Blot out he day of my birth. Destroy the calendars that measure my life. I am ruined.”

“Easier to dig diamonds from the mines of the deep earth than to dig out what God is doing. When we suffer, he is silent. Why doesn’t he show?”

“My life – like a tree – is cut off – like a stump. Jackals surround me. They will eat my corpse. God does voodoo on my painful body. God pierces me with his spikes. I’m ruined, and God does nothing to aid me.”

“I drown in God’s oceans. Weeds of pain pull me down. God, Why won’t you answer me, You who attack me? You crush me like a bug. God, Why won’t you appear in court? I’ll bring a case. You should speak to me.”

Then spoke God out of the whirlwind “You talk so much, but you know so little. Were you there when I span stars into space, curved the sun through the heavens? Were you there when the Earth was founded?”

“Up until now I only heard about you from others But now I’ve seen you Now I’ve heard you I am… sorry. I am… satisfied.”

Copyright: RE Today and Dare2engage Thanks to Si Smith, artist Narrative by Lat Blaylock www.retoday.org.uk