Batman is no Superhero
A few weeks ago, I got into an argument about Batman. I suggested that he was not a superhero as he has no superpowers; he is simply a rich man with a dubious ego and a penchant for fast cars. In response, I was accused of heresy (really!). But beneath the humour of the situation, there is a serious point that demanded an airing.
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Posted in Culture
Book Review: Where is God when it hurts?
Pain and suffering is a common theme for most thinking Christians. Unlike the smug atheist (“Why do bad things happen to good people”… “If God’s so great, why is there evil in the world”) the Christian does not accept evil as evidence for God’s presence or otherwise. But the Christian cannot ignore suffering, being so prevalent as it is in the world around us. The Christian, therefore, must seek to understand how God interacts with the world, warts and all.
Where is God when it Hurts is Philip Yancey’s most distinct attempt to encourage Christians to consider God’s role, not to feel discouraged by his apparent absence. (See also Disappointment with God for one or two shared themes.) This book is fantastically refreshing, dealing with a heavy subject in a level-headed and practical manner. Theologians can hammer out tomes on the intricacies of the theology of evil, but most Christians would gain nothing more than a headache from attempting to work through them. Where is God when it Hurts is easy to read, but not glib; practical, but not pushy. It is explorative and searching rather than preachy. And there is no better way to write about suffering than that.
Beginning with notes on his work with Dr Paul Brand, a doctor of remarkable distinction in the research of leprosy, Yancey makes a compelling case for the necessity of pain. Pain, he ultimately concludes, is a warning sign of trouble rather than a means to an end. The human body does not warn us unnecessarily, so we should thank God for “the gift pain”. Case made. But it is far harder to make suffering seem acceptable – or, on a personal level, to accept the problems to which the human body responds with pain impulses.
In short, Yancey spends a few chapters making the case of evil being outside God’s intended vision for the world before joining God with suffering in the life of Jesus. The second half of the book deals with problems associated with dealing with suffering, both personally and in those around us. Describing the lives of two Christians following terrible accidents, one who is almost grateful for their suffering and another who will not rest until they have experienced physical healing, Yancey refuses to decide which approach is best. Instead, a considered and constructive approach is maintained throughout.
The concluding paragraphs are a succinct description of the author’s view of where God is when it hurts (“He has been there from the beginning… He has joined us… He is with us now… He is waiting…”), but it should be read as a culmination to the whole book, not taken out of context. If you do not usually buy books, I can recommend this as one to have on your shelves. It is relatively short, is cheap, and is worth coming back to again and again.
Ultimately, Yancey argues that we have much to learn from suffering and from those who suffer.
We rightly disparage Job’s three friends for their insensitive response to his suffering. But read the account again: When they came, they sat in silence beside Job for seven days and seven nights before opening their mouths. As it turned out, these were the most eloquent moments they spent with him.
Posted in Reviews