"The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not"

C. S. Lewis, in his characteristic style, challenges a common theological and philosophical question, the problem of suffering, by turning it inside out. Conventionally, people wonder why the righteous or faithful endure pain and hardship, as if suffering is an anomaly for those who are virtuous or devout. Lewis redirects attention to the opposite, more unsettling mystery: given the human condition, why do some manage to avoid suffering at all?

Implicit in Lewis’s observation is the acknowledgment of suffering as an almost universal human experience, shaping character and deepening faith. Throughout religious history, suffering is portrayed as a crucible for growth, reflection, or even redemption. The surprise, Lewis suggests, is not that the pious or innocent encounter hardship, after all, religious texts abound with stories of tribulation faced by the faithful, but that anyone, especially in a world marred by imperfection and moral complexity, seems to evade such adversity.

This reversal specifically undermines the notion that goodness or faithfulness guarantees exemption from pain. Instead, it hints at a world where suffering, random or deserved, explicable or mysterious, is woven into the very fabric of existence. If a world were such that virtue always led to worldly ease, faith might become transactional, people would be righteous only for benefit, not out of genuine belief or love of good. By pondering "why some do not [suffer]", Lewis subtly explores the existence of grace, mystery, or perhaps inscrutable divine wisdom that interrupts the expected patterns of cause and effect.

Ultimately, focusing on the anomaly of those untouched by suffering prompts deeper humility and gratitude, underscoring that a life of comfort is not a moral entitlement but, in some cases, an unearned respite. Lewis invites reflection on the humility required to accept both suffering and joy without assuming either is always fully deserved or fully understood.