The Scientific Perspective on Miracles, Suffering, And All Things ‘Jesus’

LOSING HOPE

Henry Cloud grew up in a Christian home where his parents loved Jesus and lived out their faith by serving others. For the most part, he had a wonderful life until he was around four years old and woke up with horrible hip pain. 

Cloud spent almost a month in the hospital and wasn’t getting better. The doctors considered amputation and wanted to talk to Cloud’s mother about it. As she waited for the doctor to arrive, she heard a voice say, “Leave here, and take him to Ochsner in New Orleans.” Oschner was like the big training hospital of the South, like the Mayo Clinic.  With no appointment, she drove 225 miles with no doctor, plan, or referral.  

When they arrived, Cloud was “randomly” assigned to a new orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mary Sherman. After examining Cloud and sending him for X-rays, Dr. Sherman diagnosed him with necrosis of the hip joint known as Legg-Perthes Disease. She told them, “There will be no amputation. I know exactly what this is and how to treat it… He will be fine.” It turns out that she was one of the few doctors in the country who knew how to treat his condition. After two years of being in a wheelchair, leg braces, and physical therapy, Cloud was fine. 

Wanting to make up for lost time, Cloud started by playing all the sports he could, and golf was where he excelled the most. Playing professional golf was his dream. After playing golf in high school and being noticed for his skills, Cloud was recruited to play college golf. Unfortunately, an injury to his wrist affected his golf game and eventually ended his dream. During the same time, he also went through a breakup. Processing both losses at once was overwhelming.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life,” he shares. 

Depression hit him hard, making it difficult to function. Trying to figure out a major he liked in college also overwhelmed him. In addition, his relationship with God wasn’t strong. Cloud admits that when he hit puberty, he had one foot in the church and one in the world. 

Hitting rock bottom and feeling hopeless while in his dorm room, he looked up at his stack of books, and the Bible caught his eye. When he opened the pages, his eyes fell upon the scripture “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33, NIV). 

Cloud thought, “Well, let’s try that.” Desperate for the internal pain to stop, he walked to the campus chapel, went to the altar, and cried out, “God, I don’t even know if you are there or not, but I need help. If you’re there, help me.” Waiting to feel something, Cloud didn’t get the response he was hoping for. He admits, “It was the loneliest, most desperate time of my life, and nothing happened.” 

When he returned to his dorm room, a fraternity brother called him, saying. “I don’t know what made me think of you. Honestly, you’re the last person I would think to invite to a Bible study, but I want you to come. In that moment, Cloud knew that God was reaching out to him, and that’s when his relationship with the Lord began to grow. 

THE PATH TOWARDS HEALING

Cloud describes his healing as involving a series of miraculous interventions during his struggle with depression and illness, and he emphasizes that these miracles were not instantaneous or dramatic physical healings. Instead, he says he experienced "truly miraculous, supernatural things" at desperate moments, such as feeling God's presence and receiving guidance and support when he most needed it. After years of experiencing those special moments with the Lord, Cloud came to understand how great God is and how much he truly cares about every single part of our lives.

UNDERSTANDING SUFFERING

Christians and non-Christians alike have questions about suffering and why we must endure it. Cloud addresses this issue by weaving together not only his personal experience but also using theology and psychology to answer some of the most pressing questions. Some key approaches from his book include:

• The Necessity of Free Will: Cloud argues that true love requires freedom, and with that freedom comes the possibility of both good and evil. God allows human beings to make choices, which means suffering can result from those choices, but this freedom is essential for genuine love to exist.

• God’s Presence in Suffering: He shares stories, including a testimony where a man envisions Jesus taking his place during abuse, to illustrate that God deeply empathizes with our pain. Cloud emphasizes that Jesus is present with people in their suffering, offering comfort and solidarity rather than distant observation.

• Redemption and Hope: Cloud explains that while God foresaw the potential for evil and suffering, he also prepared a plan for redemption through Christ. Suffering is framed within a larger narrative of hope and restoration.

• Emotional and Intellectual Struggles: Acknowledging that intellectual answers about suffering often fall short emotionally, Cloud encourages readers to trust in God’s love and wisdom, even when circumstances are incomprehensible.

• Role of Community: Cloud says that supportive communities and the church are essential in helping those who suffer. He critiques the misuse of religion to justify abuse and urges victims to seek help from compassionate leaders and friends.

• Personal Testimony: His own story of illness, depression, and gradual healing serves as a backdrop, showing how suffering can lead to personal growth, empathy, and a deeper calling to help others.

WHERE FAITH AND SCIENCE INTERSECT

Using scientific principles and faith, Cloud demonstrates how science and biblical teachings often align to promote personal growth, healing, and human flourishing. He draws from evidence-based psychological insights, such as the importance of attachment, autonomy, boundaries, and resilience, to show how these concepts are also found in scripture. Arguing that when science is approached without atheistic assumptions, it does not conflict with faith; instead, it can validate and enrich spiritual beliefs.

Cloud devotes a section to exploring scientific truths that support the reliability of the Bible. He uses both clinical experience and personal stories to illustrate how faith and science together can address life's complexities, improve relationships, and help people thrive. For Cloud, faith is not separate from scientific understanding but is enhanced by it, creating a holistic approach to well-being and meaning.

Highlighting several scientific principles that support faith, Cloud examines the following topics:

• Cosmology and Fine-Tuning: Cloud discusses the scientific evidence for the universe having a distinct beginning (such as the Big Bang) and points to the precise tuning of fundamental forces and the complexity of natural systems as indicators of intelligent design, arguing that such intricacy suggests a deliberate Creator rather than random chance.

• Complexity of Life: He draws analogies between the complex organization of life (like the human body) and designed objects (such as a watch), suggesting that this complexity is best explained by a Creator.

• Psychological Principles: Cloud emphasizes the harmony between modern psychological research and biblical teachings. He highlights the importance of emotional bonds, healthy relationships, personal boundaries, autonomy, and forgiveness--which are all supported by both psychological science and scripture as essential for well-being and healing.

• Human Response to Suffering: He explores how psychological methods help people cope with suffering and negative experiences, paralleling biblical guidance on forgiveness, resilience, and maintaining hope during hardships.
 

For more information on Dr. Henry Cloud click the LINK! 

CREDITS

New York Times best-selling author (over 20 million books sold), latest: Why I Believe: A Psychologist’s 
Thoughts on Suffering, Miracles, Science and Faith (Hachette Book Group, 2024); Extensive executive 
coaching background as a leadership consultant, working with CEOs, leadership teams, and executives; Founded and built a healthcare company in 1987, which operated inpatient and outpatient treatment centers in forty markets in the Western U.S.; There, he served as Clinical Director and principal for ten years before selling the company and focusing on consulting; Former host of national radio show, The Dr. Cloud Show, for 15 years airing in 200 markets in the U.S.; Frequent contributor to CNN, Fox News Channel, and other national media outlets, Graduate of Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in psychology; He completed his PhD. in clinical psychology at Biola University and his clinical internship at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health; Married to Tori and has two daughters: Olivia & Lucy.