The Book of Job is one of the most mysterious and powerful books of the Bible. Job is blameless, yet he is struck with tragedy. When he asks God why, God refuses to answer. When Job’s friends suggest he did something wrong, God rejects them as well. We are left with no explanation.

We might read this story and come away depressed and angry. I read it with deep respect and admiration. The Bible does not try to gloss over the harshness of life in this world. It is not perfect.

The just do suffer. The world is not as it should be. God does not always tell us why.

Yet, the response to such truths is not give up. It is not to despair. It is to hope. It is to pray. It is to work. It is to light a candle. As Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”