Communicating with Sufferers: Lessons from the Book of Job

This article looks at the question of sin and disease in bioethics with a spiritual-theological analysis from the book of Job. The biblical figure Job is an innocent and just man who suffered horrendously. His dialogues with othersuhis wife, his friends, and Goducan give many valuable insights for patients who suffer and for those who interact with them. Family, friends, physicians, nurses, chaplains, and pastoral workers can learn from Job how to communicate properly with sufferers. The main question for Job was how to maintain the tension between Gods justice and Gods mercy and not yield to the temptation of cursing God but to speak well of Him in moments of difficulties.