For The Rest Of Us with the Reverend Canon Megan Castellan

Megan Explains: Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?… for the rest of us! [Part 2]


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Canon Megan and Adam are back for round two of one of the hardest questions in the Christian life: Why do bad things happen to good people?  This time, they turn to the Book of Job—not for easy answers, but for real, pastoral wisdom.

Together, they unpack what Job’s story teaches us about presence, suffering, and what not to say when someone’s in pain. They reflect on how faith doesn’t always mean fixing—it can mean sitting in the ashes with someone and refusing to look away.

Along the way, they talk about finding joy in the midst of grief, how suffering can be transformative, and why being with someone is more powerful than explaining their pain away.


What You’ll Walk Away With:

  • Just because an answer makes intellectual sense doesn’t mean it feels good when you’re hurting.
  • Pastoral care isn’t about fixing suffering—it’s about showing up and staying present.
  • Job’s friends are great… until they start talking. Sometimes silence is the best support.
  • God’s presence with us matters more than God’s reasons for us.
  • Suffering can lead to transformation and even redemption—but not without honesty.
  • Grief and joy can sit side by side—both are part of the human experience.
  • Healing starts with acknowledging pain, not ignoring it.
  • The person who’s suffering should guide the conversation—not the one trying to explain it.
  • The church is at its best when it centers people in pain, not theological debates.
  • Searching for meaning in suffering is sacred work—and it takes time.


This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt helpless in the face of someone else’s pain—or carried grief themselves and wondered where God might be in it.


AI Disclosure: To support our staff in their limited time, many of our episode summaries are first generated by AI and then edited by the Communications Director to accurately reflect and preview our podcast episodes.

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For The Rest Of Us with the Reverend Canon Megan CastellanBy The Episcopal Diocese of Central New York

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