THEOSISMakarios (Bulgakow)
The presence of evil in the world does not implicate the Sovereign of the Universe. When we reflect on the physical evils we observe among sentient and rational beings, we must acknowledge that these evils arose as a direct result of the moral transgressions of the first human: "the earth is cursed because of you, man" (Gen. 3:17); the creation became subject to futility not out of its own will, but through the intent of the One who subjected it (Rom. 8:20). For humanity, the existence of such evils is a natural outcome of sin and serves as just punishment for those sins. Conversely, God's Providence employs this evil, stemming from humanity's fall, as a means to urge sinners towards repentance and a return to the path of truth.
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St. Basil the Great articulated that "diseases in cities and nations, dryness in the air, barrenness of the earth, and all kinds of hardships faced in life" function to curtail the escalation of sin. Every such evil, he asserted, is sent by God to prevent the emergence of true evils. Both physical afflictions and external adversities are designed to restrain sinful behavior. Thus, while God eradicates evil, it is acknowledged that evil does not originate from God. A physician removes illness from the body rather than introducing it. The devastation of cities, earthquakes, floods, the fall of armies, shipwrecks, and the loss of many lives—by land, sea, air, or fire—serve the purpose of humbling those who remain. God's intention is to subdue the vices of the people through the calamities experienced by the people.
It is evident that, due to the constraints of our understanding, we often struggle to grasp the divine purposes by which wise Providence allows sentient beings to endure physical suffering.