In January 2010 I began studies for a Doctor of Ministry degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary where I earned my Master of Divinity degree and where I currently work. Over the past year and a half I have worked hard to complete the base courses necessary leading up to my dissertation work. That work has now all been completed. All that is left is the dissertation.

For the past two weeks I've been in a class that was titled "God and Human Suffering." It addressed the theodicy question inherent in the Christian tradition. That question rests on three assertions that are in tension with one another:

1. God is all-powerful.
2. God is all-good.
3. Evil is real.

For my final paper for the class I chose the option to write my own argument on this issue. It's still a work in progress, but here's where I landed for now.