Why do bad things happen to good people?

I'm watching something and this was one of the questions raised: "Why do you think it is that a loving God allows innocent people to suffer?" The person responded with a sigh and an eventual, "And I don't know. I can't wait to ask him...I have just pondered it endless endlessly." But after this statement, (person) followed with something that I found very perspicacious:

But I do want to just add that what that means to me is that in the face of suffering, there is no doubt in my mind that God calls us to respond. You know, that's part of what we are expected to do. For whatever reason it exists, it's very existence is a call to action.

I thought that it was a great point, that even though this person didn't know the reasons for suffering, that its existence was an opportunity for us to help, that we then have an opportunity to serve. We're here to help each other and this point was again driven home when I heard this statement.
I think it's pretty cool.


*Addendum: As a side note, this Education Week talk by Mary Ellen Edmunds, The Royal Law of the Gospel: Love, is excellent. I've listened to it maybe 5 times in the last year or two. It think it's a great gospel discussion of what I blogged about.
I love this site for all of its mp3 downloads.