In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, much of his commentary refers to the suffering of his characters: suffering of the poor, suffering of the rich. Does our suffering serve a redeeming purpose? Dostoevsky believes that this is a just world, and suffering is either the punishment of sin, or a test of will, goodness, and faith. Therefore, in response to my "big question", God allows suffering to refine our souls and yet we do simultaneously cause our own suffering. We (humanity, as a whole) create our own suffering and God allows it to continue.