In the book "Where Is God When It Hurts?" by Philip Yancey, the author explores the idea of God's involvement in human suffering. He suggests that while God may be indirectly responsible for some suffering, it is not comparable to actively causing harm. Instead, God's role is more about allowing free will and human choices, which can lead to pain and difficulty.

Yancey uses a metaphor to illustrate this distinction: giving a child ice skates and knowing they might fall versus pushing them onto the ice. The first scenario implies a risk accepted with care, whereas the second is an act of direct harm. This highlights the difference between God permitting suffering and Him intentionally causing it.