My friend has this idea that the universe is all a simulation. He sees everything including suffering as part of the universe going through infinite possibilities in order to experience itself. He sees it as an attempt to understand its own nature and suffering especially promotes a drive to understand. For example, we are learning about the cochlea because of our suffering and in the universe is achieving this understanding, too. I'm not sure if that idea is at all complementary to your own.
FWIW, he considers himself a Christian but loosely.