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The Question That Never Goes Away
Some days, the news seems too much to bear. Yet another tsunami or earthquake or flood or fire or war atrocity. One more gun-toting madman stalking young people in idyllic Norway or moviegoers in Colorado or schoolchildren in Newtown, Connecticut. We turn off the news only to get a phone call about expectant parents with a stillborn baby, or a loved one whose cancer has returned.
Really, God? we ask. This again?
If we have faith in God, it gets shaken to the core. What was God doing in the moment when that tragedy could have been prevented? If we can’t trust God to keep our children safe or our loved ones from dying in agony, what can we trust God for?
In his classic book Where Is God When It Hurts, Philip Yancey gave us permission to doubt, reasons not to abandon faith, and practical ways to reach out to hurting people. Now, with new perspectives and stories gathered across nearly twenty-five years, once again he tackles the hard questions head-on. His visits to three places in 2012 raised the old problems with new urgency.
More veteran pilgrim than curious journalist in his later years, Yancey faces with his trademark honesty the issues that often undermine faith, yet he emerges with comfort and hope. Along the way, he shows that Christians have an important role to play in bringing healing to a deeply wounded world.
There are hopeful reasons to ask, once again, the question that never goes away. . . .
Really, God? we ask. This again?
If we have faith in God, it gets shaken to the core. What was God doing in the moment when that tragedy could have been prevented? If we can’t trust God to keep our children safe or our loved ones from dying in agony, what can we trust God for?
In his classic book Where Is God When It Hurts, Philip Yancey gave us permission to doubt, reasons not to abandon faith, and practical ways to reach out to hurting people. Now, with new perspectives and stories gathered across nearly twenty-five years, once again he tackles the hard questions head-on. His visits to three places in 2012 raised the old problems with new urgency.
More veteran pilgrim than curious journalist in his later years, Yancey faces with his trademark honesty the issues that often undermine faith, yet he emerges with comfort and hope. Along the way, he shows that Christians have an important role to play in bringing healing to a deeply wounded world.
There are hopeful reasons to ask, once again, the question that never goes away. . . .
93 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2013
228 people are currently reading
1493 people want to read
About the author
Philip Yancey
299 books2,389 followersA native of Atlanta, Georgia, Philip Yancey earned graduate degrees in Communications and English from Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Chicago. He joined the staff of Campus Life Magazine in 1971, and worked there as Editor and then Publisher. He looks on those years with gratitude, because teenagers are demanding readers, and writing for them taught him a lasting principle: The reader is in control!
In 1978 Philip Yancey became a full-time writer, initially working as a journalist for such varied publications as Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, National Wildlife, Christian Century and The Reformed Journal. For several years he contributed a monthly column to Christianity Today magazine, where he also served as Editor at Large.
In 2021 Philip released two new books: A Companion in Crisis and his long-awaited memoir, Where the Light Fell. Other favorites included in his more than twenty-five titles are: Where Is God When It Hurts, The Student Bible, and Disappointment with God. Philip's books have won thirteen Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, have sold more than seventeen million copies, and have been published in over 50 languages. Christian bookstore managers selected The Jesus I Never Knew as the 1996 Book of the Year, and in 1998 What’s So Amazing About Grace? won the same award. His other recent books are Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image; Vanishing Grace: Bringing Good News to a Deeply Divided World; The Question that Never Goes Away; What Good Is God?; Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?; Soul Survivor; and Reaching for the Invisible God. In 2009 a daily reader was published, compiled from excerpts of his work: Grace Notes.
The Yanceys lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving to a very different environment in Colorado. Together they enjoy mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, and all the other delights of the Rocky Mountains.
Visit Philip online:
https://www.philipyancey.com
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipYancey
Catch his monthly blog:
https://bit.ly/PhilipYanceyBlog
In 1978 Philip Yancey became a full-time writer, initially working as a journalist for such varied publications as Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, National Wildlife, Christian Century and The Reformed Journal. For several years he contributed a monthly column to Christianity Today magazine, where he also served as Editor at Large.
In 2021 Philip released two new books: A Companion in Crisis and his long-awaited memoir, Where the Light Fell. Other favorites included in his more than twenty-five titles are: Where Is God When It Hurts, The Student Bible, and Disappointment with God. Philip's books have won thirteen Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, have sold more than seventeen million copies, and have been published in over 50 languages. Christian bookstore managers selected The Jesus I Never Knew as the 1996 Book of the Year, and in 1998 What’s So Amazing About Grace? won the same award. His other recent books are Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image; Vanishing Grace: Bringing Good News to a Deeply Divided World; The Question that Never Goes Away; What Good Is God?; Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?; Soul Survivor; and Reaching for the Invisible God. In 2009 a daily reader was published, compiled from excerpts of his work: Grace Notes.
The Yanceys lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving to a very different environment in Colorado. Together they enjoy mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, and all the other delights of the Rocky Mountains.
Visit Philip online:
https://www.philipyancey.com
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipYancey
Catch his monthly blog:
https://bit.ly/PhilipYanceyBlog
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
January 2, 2015
This book renewed my faith in a God who is present even in pain. More thoughts on this soon.
***UPDATE***
As I am writing this post, I am also watching a TV special on the 1st anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) which ravaged the country on exactly this same day last year. Videos of that tragic day were shown again and my heart is crushed each time I see people crying about their losses and traumatic experiences. There was the man who was able to save a co-worker from being washed away by the flood but lost his 3 children. Another man was shown carrying his dead daughter on his arms. A woman was crying and pleading for help from relatives who might get to watch the video. Footage caught during the height of the storm and the resulting storm surge were replayed and it felt as if it was only yesterday when the deadly calamity made a ghost town of almost all of Leyte.
One year later, survivors are trying to rebuild their lives but the pain lingers and the memory of the tragedy continue to haunt them.
Where is God in the midst of this pain?
What is God up to in the face of this tragedy?
Where is God when it hurts?
In The Question That Never Goes Away, Philip Yancey revisited these questions which he attempted to answer in his classic book written 30 years ago, Where Is God When It Hurts? The Question That Never Goes Away was written on the face of the tragedy that befell Sandy Hook Elementary School when a gunman killed 20 elementary pupils in 2011. Although written before Typhoon Yolanda, the book still contained examples on unspeakable and unexplainable tragedies similar to it. There was the said Sandy Hook shooting, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, the Saravejo siege. Suffering is always present, always exists, never stops. It can be a person’s personal tragedy, or a nation under sorrow. But the question lingers. If there is really a God, why does He allow these things to happen?
Continue reading.
***UPDATE***
As I am writing this post, I am also watching a TV special on the 1st anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) which ravaged the country on exactly this same day last year. Videos of that tragic day were shown again and my heart is crushed each time I see people crying about their losses and traumatic experiences. There was the man who was able to save a co-worker from being washed away by the flood but lost his 3 children. Another man was shown carrying his dead daughter on his arms. A woman was crying and pleading for help from relatives who might get to watch the video. Footage caught during the height of the storm and the resulting storm surge were replayed and it felt as if it was only yesterday when the deadly calamity made a ghost town of almost all of Leyte.
One year later, survivors are trying to rebuild their lives but the pain lingers and the memory of the tragedy continue to haunt them.
Where is God in the midst of this pain?
What is God up to in the face of this tragedy?
Where is God when it hurts?
In The Question That Never Goes Away, Philip Yancey revisited these questions which he attempted to answer in his classic book written 30 years ago, Where Is God When It Hurts? The Question That Never Goes Away was written on the face of the tragedy that befell Sandy Hook Elementary School when a gunman killed 20 elementary pupils in 2011. Although written before Typhoon Yolanda, the book still contained examples on unspeakable and unexplainable tragedies similar to it. There was the said Sandy Hook shooting, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, the Saravejo siege. Suffering is always present, always exists, never stops. It can be a person’s personal tragedy, or a nation under sorrow. But the question lingers. If there is really a God, why does He allow these things to happen?
Continue reading.
January 19, 2015
الكتاب جميل وممتع بالفعل ولا تستطيع ان تقيمه بسهوله فهو قد عرض المشكلة بمهارة ودقة ولكن كلنا نعرف هذا ان مشكلة الالم عويصة وكبيرة والكل يعانى منها
لم يقدم جديدا فقط سرد لمعاناة بعض المناطق مثل اليابان و سراييفوا ثم وصل الى ان الالم موجود لست وحدك المتألم وباقى ان تعلم ان المسيح نفسه قد تألم معك
كلمات المواساة لن تفيد ولن تمحو ألمك هذه حقيقة ولكنه قدم مفهوما عميقا كان ينبغى ان يفرد له فصل خاص ويتم التأكيد عليه وهو ان بعض الالام والشر ينتظر منا المسيح ان نقف بجانب الناس فيها ولا نكون مكتفين بذواتنا
المسأله ليست للحل بل للتعاطف والدعم
الكتاب فى مجمله جيد وانت كنت انتظر اكثر من الكاتب وترتيبا اكثر لافكاره بداخل الكتاب وفصوله
لم يقدم جديدا فقط سرد لمعاناة بعض المناطق مثل اليابان و سراييفوا ثم وصل الى ان الالم موجود لست وحدك المتألم وباقى ان تعلم ان المسيح نفسه قد تألم معك
كلمات المواساة لن تفيد ولن تمحو ألمك هذه حقيقة ولكنه قدم مفهوما عميقا كان ينبغى ان يفرد له فصل خاص ويتم التأكيد عليه وهو ان بعض الالام والشر ينتظر منا المسيح ان نقف بجانب الناس فيها ولا نكون مكتفين بذواتنا
المسأله ليست للحل بل للتعاطف والدعم
الكتاب فى مجمله جيد وانت كنت انتظر اكثر من الكاتب وترتيبا اكثر لافكاره بداخل الكتاب وفصوله
March 5, 2014
Wow. Just Wow. There's a reason that people invite Yancey to come speak to them after a tragedy and not John Piper. Yancey has a way of addressing the hardest questions in life with tenderness, theological depth, and compassion. His answers don't seem rigid, trite, or patronizing. His direct involvement in helping people through some of the worst tragedies of the past few years is a testament to this. This short book is a must read for all of us.
June 28, 2014
I just read an autobiography so bad I mourned the trees sacrificed to create such a dumb waste of time. So grateful that my next book is by Philip Yancey, who does flinch at the hard questions but asks anyway. If you have gone through or are going through something hard, this is the book for you. It flees from dumb religious cliches and runs toward hard truth. What a gift to the church he is.
March 22, 2023
لم يعد الإيمان ينتقل بالكلام، بل بالعمل.
عندما يبدو الله غائبًا، فإنَّ الأمر في بعض الأحيان يكون متروكا لنا لإظهار وجوده في أغلب الأحيان، لا يعرفُ العالم حقيقةً عمانوئيل، الله معنا، إلَّا من خلال أتباعه.
أن إله الأربع عشر بليون سنة منذ بداية الكون إله التاريخ البشري ما قبل التاريخ؛ إله السبعة مليارات إنسان على كوكبنا الذين يفرحون ويعانون ويأملون ويتألمون ومع كلّ ذلك يُقابلنا شخصيا ويستمع إلى ما نقوله، وهو مهتم بمن نحن عليه، وهو عاطفي جدا بشأن ما قد نصير عليه، يسير جنبًا إلى جنب معنا في فرص الحياة وتحدياتها. هذا أمر مستحيل وبعيد الاحتمال وحقيقي أيضًا.
قال مارتن لوثر (Martin Luther): "المعاناة أفضل كتاب في مكتبتي“. أشك في أني أستطيع أن أنطق بجملة حافلة بالنقة كهذه. لكن بواسطة شهود كثيرين، استنتجت أن الألم المفتدى يؤثر في بعمق أكثر من الألم الذي زال. نحن نهتم بما ستصير عليه الأمور، لكنَّ الله يبدو أكثر اهتماما بما سنصير نحن.
رُغمَ أن المأساة تجعلنا نتساءل بحق بشأن الإيمان، فإنها توكد الإيمان أيضًا. حقا إنها أخبار سارة أننا لسنا منتجات فرعية غير مخطط لها لكون غير شخصي، بل خلائق إله مُحِب يريد أن يعيش معنا إلى الأبد.
الحزن هو المكان الذي يلتقي فيه الألم والمحبة.
لا تفتخر أيها الموت! مع أن البعض قد دعاك
جبارًا ومخيفا؛ لأنك لست كذلك ....
رقاد واحد قصير يعبر ثم نستيقظ إلى الأبد
ولن يكون بعد ذلك موت، ستموتُ أَيُّها الموت.
أو من بأن الله قادر على استخراج الخير من كل شيء، حتى من أسوأ الشرور. لذا، هو يحتاج إلى أشخاص يسمحون لكل ما يحدث أن يتلاءم مع أنموذج للخير.
أومن بأن الله سيُعطينا في كل حالة طارئة قَدْرَ ما نحتاج إليه من قوة للمُقاومة. لكنه لن يمنحنا هذا مسبقًا لئلا نعتمد على أنفسنا بل نعتمد عليه وحده من خلال إيمان كهذا، يمكن التغلب على كل قلق بشأن المستقبل.
أو من بأن أخطاءنا وضعفاتِنا حتَّى ليست عَبَثًا، وأن تَعامل الله بفاعلية معها ليس أصعب من التعامل أعمالنا مع الصالحة المفترضة.
عندما يبدو الله غائبًا، فإنَّ الأمر في بعض الأحيان يكون متروكا لنا لإظهار وجوده في أغلب الأحيان، لا يعرفُ العالم حقيقةً عمانوئيل، الله معنا، إلَّا من خلال أتباعه.
أن إله الأربع عشر بليون سنة منذ بداية الكون إله التاريخ البشري ما قبل التاريخ؛ إله السبعة مليارات إنسان على كوكبنا الذين يفرحون ويعانون ويأملون ويتألمون ومع كلّ ذلك يُقابلنا شخصيا ويستمع إلى ما نقوله، وهو مهتم بمن نحن عليه، وهو عاطفي جدا بشأن ما قد نصير عليه، يسير جنبًا إلى جنب معنا في فرص الحياة وتحدياتها. هذا أمر مستحيل وبعيد الاحتمال وحقيقي أيضًا.
قال مارتن لوثر (Martin Luther): "المعاناة أفضل كتاب في مكتبتي“. أشك في أني أستطيع أن أنطق بجملة حافلة بالنقة كهذه. لكن بواسطة شهود كثيرين، استنتجت أن الألم المفتدى يؤثر في بعمق أكثر من الألم الذي زال. نحن نهتم بما ستصير عليه الأمور، لكنَّ الله يبدو أكثر اهتماما بما سنصير نحن.
رُغمَ أن المأساة تجعلنا نتساءل بحق بشأن الإيمان، فإنها توكد الإيمان أيضًا. حقا إنها أخبار سارة أننا لسنا منتجات فرعية غير مخطط لها لكون غير شخصي، بل خلائق إله مُحِب يريد أن يعيش معنا إلى الأبد.
الحزن هو المكان الذي يلتقي فيه الألم والمحبة.
لا تفتخر أيها الموت! مع أن البعض قد دعاك
جبارًا ومخيفا؛ لأنك لست كذلك ....
رقاد واحد قصير يعبر ثم نستيقظ إلى الأبد
ولن يكون بعد ذلك موت، ستموتُ أَيُّها الموت.
أو من بأن الله قادر على استخراج الخير من كل شيء، حتى من أسوأ الشرور. لذا، هو يحتاج إلى أشخاص يسمحون لكل ما يحدث أن يتلاءم مع أنموذج للخير.
أومن بأن الله سيُعطينا في كل حالة طارئة قَدْرَ ما نحتاج إليه من قوة للمُقاومة. لكنه لن يمنحنا هذا مسبقًا لئلا نعتمد على أنفسنا بل نعتمد عليه وحده من خلال إيمان كهذا، يمكن التغلب على كل قلق بشأن المستقبل.
أو من بأن أخطاءنا وضعفاتِنا حتَّى ليست عَبَثًا، وأن تَعامل الله بفاعلية معها ليس أصعب من التعامل أعمالنا مع الصالحة المفترضة.
February 23, 2024
Because of his book "Where is God when it hurts?," the author is often asked to speak to groups of people who have gone through trauma and suffering. He draws upon his visits to war-torn Sarajevo, Japan after the 2011 tsunami, and the grieving community of Newtown, CT to turn the question from "Where is God?" to "Where is the church?" This is a very sobering and heart-wrenching book to read, but essential for the church to face this difficult question of What are we doing to ease the suffering of people? We Christians are the body of Christ and as his people, should be doing the work that he commissioned us to do. The question is not what is God doing, but what are we doing?
The end of the book provides the answer. He recounts how some teenagers were lighting candles for the slain children in Dunblane, Scotland when a pastor came by and prayed with them. They started emptying their pockets of their knives and chains and said "I need to change."
The end of the book provides the answer. He recounts how some teenagers were lighting candles for the slain children in Dunblane, Scotland when a pastor came by and prayed with them. They started emptying their pockets of their knives and chains and said "I need to change."
January 6, 2015
اعتقادي هو انك عندما تقول الحقيقة تكون قريباً من الله
لو كان في وسعنا ان ننظر الي ما هو ابعد من حدود معرفتنا .. لربما استطعنا عندئذ ان نتحمل احزاننا بثقة اعظم من افراحنا .. لأنها تكون اللحظات التي يدخل فيها شئ جديد فينا - شئ غير مألوف .. كل شئ في داخلنا يتراجع الي الوراء يتبعه صمت وشئ جديد .. يقف في الوسط وهو صامت
اليأس هو المعاناة دون معني ويمكن ان ينزع كل شئ من الانسان ماعدا شيئاً واحداً : اخر حريات الانسان - حرية اختيار موقفه في اية مجموعة من الاحوال
ان الكلمات مهما كانت صادرة عن حسن نية قد تضيف المزيد من الالم علي وضع محزن اصلاً
حتي حقيقة روحية مثل كل الاشياء تعمل معاً للخير .. يمكن ان تكون اشبه بضربة مطرقة اذا ما قيلت في وقت غير مناسب .. ان الذين يقولون انه ينتج عن المعاناة خير اعظم انما يقدمون تعزية شحيحة للاشخاص العاديين الذين يحزنون علي ما فقدوه ويتساءلون كيف يستطيعون استئناف حياتهم
قبل ان اقدم ارشاداً الي شخص متألم . اولاً اسأل نفسي كيف ستبدو هذه الكلمات بالنسبه له - هل ستجلب كلماتي الراحة والعزاء او ستفاقم الالم ؟ ثم اسأل نفسي ما سيقول يسوع ؟
بوصفنا اتباع يسوع نستطيع ان نقدم بدلاً من ذلك حضوراً يتصف بالمحبة والرأفة قد يساعد علي تضميد الجراح وشفاء القلب المنكسر
وضعت الكنيسة في العصور الوسطي قائمة لسبعة اعمال رحمة لتكون مقابلة لقائمة الخطايا المميتة السبعة : اطعام الجياع ، تقديم الماء للعطشي ، توفير الثياب للعراة ، توفير المسكن للمشردين ، زيارة المرضي ، افتداء المأسورين ، دفن الموتي والقائمة الاضافية : تعليم الجاهلين ، ارشاد المشككين ، انذار الخطاة ، تحمل الاخطاء بصبر ، مسامحة الاساءات عن طيب خاطر. ، تعزية الحزاني. ، الصلاة لاجل الاحياء والاموات
لم يعد الايمان ينتقل بالكلام بل بالعمل
اننا لسنا وحدنا بينما نختبر المعاناة ، بل نختبرها بوجود الله الي جانبنا
بسبب يسوع لدينا التأكيد علي ان كل ما يزعجنا يزعج الله اكثر مهما كان الحزن الذي نشعر به يشعر الله بحزن اكبر منه ومهما كان كل ما نتوق اليه يتوق الله الي ما هو اكثر منه
لا يوجد الم او معاناة او خيبة امل او احباط لا يمكن شفاؤه او معالجته او استخدامه لغايات اسمي
لا يقدم الكتاب المقدس اية ضمانة تقول ان المعاناة ستزول فكل ما يقوله انها ستفتدي او لأستخدام كلمة اكثر حداثة سيعاد تدويرها
سيعود تدوير المعاناة بوصفها مساهمة في اثراء الحياة
شبه الرسول بولس انجازاته التي حققهاجاهداً بكومة من الروث ، لكن حتي هذه يمكن اعادة تدويرها لتكون سماداً طبيعياً
ان طريق الفداء تمر عبر الالم وليس حوله
يجب علينا ان نختار البقاء في قصة الفداء ومهما كانت غير واضحة بالنسبة الينا يمكننا الوثوق بأن الله هو الذي يكتب القصة
عندما يبدو الله غائباً فأن الامر في بعض الاحيان يكون متروكاً لنا لإظهاره وجوده ، في اغلب الاحيان لا يعرف العالم حقيقة عمانوئيل الله معانا إلا من خلال اتباعه
ان اتباع يسوع لم يكونو مستثنين من مآسي الشر والموت تماماً مثلما كان يسوع بدلاً من ذلك قد تصير التجارب مناسبات لعمل النعمة عبر ايقاظ مخزون الشجاعة والمحبة والرافة الكامن والذي لم نكن ربما نعلم بوجوده
المعاناة افضل كت�� في مكتبتي
نحن نهتم بما ستصير عليه الامور لكن الله يبدواكثر اهتاماً بما سنصير نحن
ان الذين يراقبون المعاناة يتعرضون لتجربة رفض الله والذين يختبرونها لا يستطيعون غالباً ان يتخلوا عن الله وعن عزائهم وعذاببهم
من الافضل ان تكون احببت وفقدت من الا تكون قد احببت بتاتاً. لعل الله يشعر هكذا تجاه خليقة ساقطة ؟
كل حياة هي قرض وهي ستعود الي المقرض
الحزن هو المكان الذي يلتقي فيه الالم والمحبة
الله صالح لكن نحن الكائنات البشرية احرار ولاننا كذلك فاننا نسهم في تشكيل طبيعة عالمنا بالاخيارات التي نقوم بها
لماذا يسمح الله بالشر؟ انه يسمح به لأننا نحن او اخرين مثلناتماماً نختاره
بمرور الوقت يصير الالم اقل وبمرور الوقت رغم انكم لن تنسوا البته ولن تتعافوا من الحادثة فأن ي وسعكم ان تتابعوا حياتكم وستشعرون بالفرح ثانية مع انه يبو بعيداً جداً الآن
نحن جميعاً سنموت البعض سيموتون مسنون والبعض في سن صغيرة بصورة ماساوية اجل ان الله يقدم الدعم والتضامن لكن ليس الحماية او علي الاقل ليس ذلك النوع من الحماية التي نتحرق اليها في هذا الكوكب الملعون
ان الالم الذي اشعر به الان هو جزء من السعادة التي ساشعر بها في ذلك الوقت تلك هي الصفقة
لا يمنع الله وقوع الامور الصعبة في هذا العالم الحر والخطر لكنه بدلاً من هذا يشاركنا جميعاً في هذه الامور
لن يشفي الوقت كل الجراح حتي الله لن يشفي الجروح كلها علي الاقل ليس في هذه الحياة خلال ذلك يكون لدينا نحن الذين في الكنيسة عملاو نقوم به
لا اتوقع ان يأتي العزاء من بعيد حيث اؤمن في الحقيقة بان الله يدخل الي العالم من خلالنا
الحضور الملآن بالمحبة الغير مشروطة يخفف الم القلوب المحطمة ويضمد الجراح ويجددنا في الحياة
يصير الله مرئياً عبر اشخاص يعيشون الرسالة التي عبر عنها بولس جيداً مبارك الله ابو ربنا يسوع المسيح ابو الرافه واله كل تعزية الذي يعزينا في كل ضيقنا حتي نستطيع ان نعزي الذين هم في كل ضيقة بالتعزية التي نتعزي بها نحن من الله
اؤمن بان الله سيعطينا في كل حالة طارئة قدر ا نحتاج اليه من قوة للمقاومة لكنه لن يمنحنا هذا مسبقاً لئلا نعتمد علي انفسنا بل نعتمد عليه وحده من خلال ايمان كهذا يمكن التغلب علي كل قلق بشان المستقب
اؤمن بان اخطائنا وضعفاتنا حتي ليست عبثاً وان تعامل الله بفاعلية معها ليس اصعب من التعامل مع اعمالنا الصالحة المفترضة
لو كان في وسعنا ان ننظر الي ما هو ابعد من حدود معرفتنا .. لربما استطعنا عندئذ ان نتحمل احزاننا بثقة اعظم من افراحنا .. لأنها تكون اللحظات التي يدخل فيها شئ جديد فينا - شئ غير مألوف .. كل شئ في داخلنا يتراجع الي الوراء يتبعه صمت وشئ جديد .. يقف في الوسط وهو صامت
اليأس هو المعاناة دون معني ويمكن ان ينزع كل شئ من الانسان ماعدا شيئاً واحداً : اخر حريات الانسان - حرية اختيار موقفه في اية مجموعة من الاحوال
ان الكلمات مهما كانت صادرة عن حسن نية قد تضيف المزيد من الالم علي وضع محزن اصلاً
حتي حقيقة روحية مثل كل الاشياء تعمل معاً للخير .. يمكن ان تكون اشبه بضربة مطرقة اذا ما قيلت في وقت غير مناسب .. ان الذين يقولون انه ينتج عن المعاناة خير اعظم انما يقدمون تعزية شحيحة للاشخاص العاديين الذين يحزنون علي ما فقدوه ويتساءلون كيف يستطيعون استئناف حياتهم
قبل ان اقدم ارشاداً الي شخص متألم . اولاً اسأل نفسي كيف ستبدو هذه الكلمات بالنسبه له - هل ستجلب كلماتي الراحة والعزاء او ستفاقم الالم ؟ ثم اسأل نفسي ما سيقول يسوع ؟
بوصفنا اتباع يسوع نستطيع ان نقدم بدلاً من ذلك حضوراً يتصف بالمحبة والرأفة قد يساعد علي تضميد الجراح وشفاء القلب المنكسر
وضعت الكنيسة في العصور الوسطي قائمة لسبعة اعمال رحمة لتكون مقابلة لقائمة الخطايا المميتة السبعة : اطعام الجياع ، تقديم الماء للعطشي ، توفير الثياب للعراة ، توفير المسكن للمشردين ، زيارة المرضي ، افتداء المأسورين ، دفن الموتي والقائمة الاضافية : تعليم الجاهلين ، ارشاد المشككين ، انذار الخطاة ، تحمل الاخطاء بصبر ، مسامحة الاساءات عن طيب خاطر. ، تعزية الحزاني. ، الصلاة لاجل الاحياء والاموات
لم يعد الايمان ينتقل بالكلام بل بالعمل
اننا لسنا وحدنا بينما نختبر المعاناة ، بل نختبرها بوجود الله الي جانبنا
بسبب يسوع لدينا التأكيد علي ان كل ما يزعجنا يزعج الله اكثر مهما كان الحزن الذي نشعر به يشعر الله بحزن اكبر منه ومهما كان كل ما نتوق اليه يتوق الله الي ما هو اكثر منه
لا يوجد الم او معاناة او خيبة امل او احباط لا يمكن شفاؤه او معالجته او استخدامه لغايات اسمي
لا يقدم الكتاب المقدس اية ضمانة تقول ان المعاناة ستزول فكل ما يقوله انها ستفتدي او لأستخدام كلمة اكثر حداثة سيعاد تدويرها
سيعود تدوير المعاناة بوصفها مساهمة في اثراء الحياة
شبه الرسول بولس انجازاته التي حققهاجاهداً بكومة من الروث ، لكن حتي هذه يمكن اعادة تدويرها لتكون سماداً طبيعياً
ان طريق الفداء تمر عبر الالم وليس حوله
يجب علينا ان نختار البقاء في قصة الفداء ومهما كانت غير واضحة بالنسبة الينا يمكننا الوثوق بأن الله هو الذي يكتب القصة
عندما يبدو الله غائباً فأن الامر في بعض الاحيان يكون متروكاً لنا لإظهاره وجوده ، في اغلب الاحيان لا يعرف العالم حقيقة عمانوئيل الله معانا إلا من خلال اتباعه
ان اتباع يسوع لم يكونو مستثنين من مآسي الشر والموت تماماً مثلما كان يسوع بدلاً من ذلك قد تصير التجارب مناسبات لعمل النعمة عبر ايقاظ مخزون الشجاعة والمحبة والرافة الكامن والذي لم نكن ربما نعلم بوجوده
المعاناة افضل كت�� في مكتبتي
نحن نهتم بما ستصير عليه الامور لكن الله يبدواكثر اهتاماً بما سنصير نحن
ان الذين يراقبون المعاناة يتعرضون لتجربة رفض الله والذين يختبرونها لا يستطيعون غالباً ان يتخلوا عن الله وعن عزائهم وعذاببهم
من الافضل ان تكون احببت وفقدت من الا تكون قد احببت بتاتاً. لعل الله يشعر هكذا تجاه خليقة ساقطة ؟
كل حياة هي قرض وهي ستعود الي المقرض
الحزن هو المكان الذي يلتقي فيه الالم والمحبة
الله صالح لكن نحن الكائنات البشرية احرار ولاننا كذلك فاننا نسهم في تشكيل طبيعة عالمنا بالاخيارات التي نقوم بها
لماذا يسمح الله بالشر؟ انه يسمح به لأننا نحن او اخرين مثلناتماماً نختاره
بمرور الوقت يصير الالم اقل وبمرور الوقت رغم انكم لن تنسوا البته ولن تتعافوا من الحادثة فأن ي وسعكم ان تتابعوا حياتكم وستشعرون بالفرح ثانية مع انه يبو بعيداً جداً الآن
نحن جميعاً سنموت البعض سيموتون مسنون والبعض في سن صغيرة بصورة ماساوية اجل ان الله يقدم الدعم والتضامن لكن ليس الحماية او علي الاقل ليس ذلك النوع من الحماية التي نتحرق اليها في هذا الكوكب الملعون
ان الالم الذي اشعر به الان هو جزء من السعادة التي ساشعر بها في ذلك الوقت تلك هي الصفقة
لا يمنع الله وقوع الامور الصعبة في هذا العالم الحر والخطر لكنه بدلاً من هذا يشاركنا جميعاً في هذه الامور
لن يشفي الوقت كل الجراح حتي الله لن يشفي الجروح كلها علي الاقل ليس في هذه الحياة خلال ذلك يكون لدينا نحن الذين في الكنيسة عملاو نقوم به
لا اتوقع ان يأتي العزاء من بعيد حيث اؤمن في الحقيقة بان الله يدخل الي العالم من خلالنا
الحضور الملآن بالمحبة الغير مشروطة يخفف الم القلوب المحطمة ويضمد الجراح ويجددنا في الحياة
يصير الله مرئياً عبر اشخاص يعيشون الرسالة التي عبر عنها بولس جيداً مبارك الله ابو ربنا يسوع المسيح ابو الرافه واله كل تعزية الذي يعزينا في كل ضيقنا حتي نستطيع ان نعزي الذين هم في كل ضيقة بالتعزية التي نتعزي بها نحن من الله
اؤمن بان الله سيعطينا في كل حالة طارئة قدر ا نحتاج اليه من قوة للمقاومة لكنه لن يمنحنا هذا مسبقاً لئلا نعتمد علي انفسنا بل نعتمد عليه وحده من خلال ايمان كهذا يمكن التغلب علي كل قلق بشان المستقب
اؤمن بان اخطائنا وضعفاتنا حتي ليست عبثاً وان تعامل الله بفاعلية معها ليس اصعب من التعامل مع اعمالنا الصالحة المفترضة
July 10, 2015
فيليب يانسي رائع كالعادة
بيحاول يجاوب علي السؤال الذي لا يغيب " اين الله وقت الالم " بعد ما كتب كتاب قبل كدة بنفس العنوان
بيحاول يوصل لاجابة عن السؤال الصعب ده و بيلخص الفكرة في شوية نقط
1- الألم و المعاناة مش هيخلصوا طول ماحنا عايشين علي الارض و سبب رئيسي في كدة الحرية اللي اعطاها الله للبشر و اللي ممكن يستغلوها في الشر طبعا
2- متحاولش كتير وسط الألم تفكر ليه بيحصلي كدة عشان غالبا مش هتوصل لاجابة لكن الاحسن تفكر ممكن استغل المعاناة اللي انا فيها دي عشان اوصل لايه
3- دايما خلينا فاكرين ان جمعة الالام جه وراها علطول القيامة .....فلسة القصة ماانتهتش
4-ممكن نعدل السؤال من " اين الله وسط الألم " ل " اين الكنيسة وسط الألم " و ده دور ولاده ناحية المتألمين .....فالمحبة الغير مشروطة هي الحاجة الوحيدة اللي ممكن تخفف ألام المنألمين
لكن يبقي طبعا السؤال قائم بنحاول نوصل لاجابات فيه
اخيرا مهما اتكلمنا عن الالم مش هنعرف نقول حاجة زي اللي اختبروه فعلا زي ما قال ميروسلاف فولف
ان الذين يراقبون المعاناة يتعرضون لتجربة رفض الله , والذين يختبرونها لا يستطيعون غالبا ان يتخلوا عن الله و عن عزائهم و عذابهم
بيحاول يجاوب علي السؤال الذي لا يغيب " اين الله وقت الالم " بعد ما كتب كتاب قبل كدة بنفس العنوان
بيحاول يوصل لاجابة عن السؤال الصعب ده و بيلخص الفكرة في شوية نقط
1- الألم و المعاناة مش هيخلصوا طول ماحنا عايشين علي الارض و سبب رئيسي في كدة الحرية اللي اعطاها الله للبشر و اللي ممكن يستغلوها في الشر طبعا
2- متحاولش كتير وسط الألم تفكر ليه بيحصلي كدة عشان غالبا مش هتوصل لاجابة لكن الاحسن تفكر ممكن استغل المعاناة اللي انا فيها دي عشان اوصل لايه
3- دايما خلينا فاكرين ان جمعة الالام جه وراها علطول القيامة .....فلسة القصة ماانتهتش
4-ممكن نعدل السؤال من " اين الله وسط الألم " ل " اين الكنيسة وسط الألم " و ده دور ولاده ناحية المتألمين .....فالمحبة الغير مشروطة هي الحاجة الوحيدة اللي ممكن تخفف ألام المنألمين
لكن يبقي طبعا السؤال قائم بنحاول نوصل لاجابات فيه
اخيرا مهما اتكلمنا عن الالم مش هنعرف نقول حاجة زي اللي اختبروه فعلا زي ما قال ميروسلاف فولف
ان الذين يراقبون المعاناة يتعرضون لتجربة رفض الله , والذين يختبرونها لا يستطيعون غالبا ان يتخلوا عن الله و عن عزائهم و عذابهم
July 26, 2020
If we choose to “walk with God” we must at some point wrestle with the fact that if there is a God, he often chooses not to intercede or intervene directly in human events, no matter how terrible the injustice that might result. War crimes, school shootings, natural disasters, victimization of the poor and fragile - WHY is this allowed and where is God? This book might not offer answers that will satisfy those who are convinced that suffering negates the existence of a loving God. But it provides helpful words and teaching for those of us who believe in a God, whom, “Choosing not to overwhelm human freedom...instead joined us in the midst of evil and become one of its victims. Jesus did not [yet!] eliminate evil; he revealed a God willing, at immense cost, to forgive it and to heal its damage.”
This is a book I would not hesitate to give to a Christian experiencing grief; there are no cliches here. But for Christians, there is hope found in community with each other and, somehow, with Immanuel, God with us.
This is a book I would not hesitate to give to a Christian experiencing grief; there are no cliches here. But for Christians, there is hope found in community with each other and, somehow, with Immanuel, God with us.
October 19, 2022
This is a sequel to Yancey's first book, Where is God when it hurts.
"Why" is the question that never goes away, and he doesn't attempt to provide easy answers. He speaks of his own experiences with suffering, and of times he's been asked to counsel people who have been through horrible tragedies. One point he keeps coming back to is that actions speak louder than words in these situations.
He also has some great quotes from other writers, like this one I liked from Miroslav Volf.
Yancey's writing is compassionate and thought-provoking. There's a lot of his work I haven't read, and this book makes me want to read more.
"Why" is the question that never goes away, and he doesn't attempt to provide easy answers. He speaks of his own experiences with suffering, and of times he's been asked to counsel people who have been through horrible tragedies. One point he keeps coming back to is that actions speak louder than words in these situations.
If the church does its job, people don't torment themselves wondering where God is. They know the answer.
He also has some great quotes from other writers, like this one I liked from Miroslav Volf.
Those who observe suffering are tempted to reject God; those who experience it often cannot give up on God, their solace and their agony.
Yancey's writing is compassionate and thought-provoking. There's a lot of his work I haven't read, and this book makes me want to read more.
November 21, 2013
I enjoyed reading this a lot, and found it very helpful in the light of all the shocking world events that keep happening on the planet. Philip Yancey is never condescending but very honest in this book about how helpless he feels when people ask him difficult questions. He confesses that doesn't have all the answers, but what he does say and points to is really very helpful. I definitely recommend this book.
August 20, 2016
i really did like this book by philip yancey.
it was well written and readable.
it was a very short read indeed.
he talks about his book which he wrote "where is god when it hurts"
he asks the question that where is god in the world of sufferings.
i enjoyed reading it.
he talks about all the natural disasters that happen and how people blame human sin for all the bad things that happen.
cant wait to read his next book!.
it was well written and readable.
it was a very short read indeed.
he talks about his book which he wrote "where is god when it hurts"
he asks the question that where is god in the world of sufferings.
i enjoyed reading it.
he talks about all the natural disasters that happen and how people blame human sin for all the bad things that happen.
cant wait to read his next book!.
March 14, 2019
Yancey não se propõe a "solucionar" o problema do Mal.
Isso pode afastar algum leitor curioso, de fato. Mas a proposta é como lidar com isso. É um livro sobre consolo. Fala sobre confortar os que sofrem. Curiosamente, hoje aconteceu uma tragédia em Suzano, São Paulo, Brasil. Enquanto eu lia o capítulo sobre a tragédia de Newtown, acontecia aqui algo bem semelhante.
Leitura fácil. Bem agradável, apesar de embrulhar o estômago (como hoje!).
Isso pode afastar algum leitor curioso, de fato. Mas a proposta é como lidar com isso. É um livro sobre consolo. Fala sobre confortar os que sofrem. Curiosamente, hoje aconteceu uma tragédia em Suzano, São Paulo, Brasil. Enquanto eu lia o capítulo sobre a tragédia de Newtown, acontecia aqui algo bem semelhante.
Leitura fácil. Bem agradável, apesar de embrulhar o estômago (como hoje!).
May 27, 2016
كتاب سرد بشكل مفصل الالم و اشكاله و لقاءات مع اشخاص تعرضت لالم كبيير ولكن لم يجيب عن السؤال الاساسي للكتاب. الا في بعض المقولات القليلة
كان. من الافضل ان يزيد في سرد الفصل الاخير ليعطيني اجابة
واضحة
كان. من الافضل ان يزيد في سرد الفصل الاخير ليعطيني اجابة
واضحة
June 16, 2016
This book by one of my favorite authors is excellent. If you have ever suffered or you are in the midst of suffering I highly recommend this book. It will challenge you and bring comfort to your heart. I trust you will enjoy the quotes below.
Faith, I’ve concluded, means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.
Virtually every passage on suffering in the New Testament deflects the emphasis from cause to response. Although we cannot grasp the master plan of the universe, which allows for so much evil in pain (the Why? question), we can nevertheless respond in two important ways. First, we can find meaning in the midst of suffering. Second, we can offer real and practical help to those in need. In his book The Problem of Pain C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” I hesitate to disagree with Lewis, yet that image makes me uncomfortable. It calls to mind a football coach on the sideline yelling at his players through a bullhorn, and some readers may infer from the metaphor that God dishes out something to get our attention. I don’t think Lewis intended such an inference, and for that reason I would change the image from megaphone to hearing aid. When suffering strikes, it gives us, the afflicted ones, an opportunity to turn up the volume and attend to crucial messages that we might otherwise ignore.
Were it possible, we might look beyond the reach of our knowing… Then perhaps we would endure our griefs with even greater trust than our joys. For they are the moments when something new has entered into us, something unfamiliar. … Everything within us steps back; a silence ensues, and something new … stands in the center and is silent. ~Rainer Maria Rilke
"Despair is suffering without meaning," he wrote; and "everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – – to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances." – Victor Frankl
A University researching pain recruited volunteers to test how long they could keep their feet in buckets of freezing water. They observed that when a companion was allowed in the room, the volunteer could endure the cold twice as long as those who suffered alone. “The presence of another caring person doubles the amount of pain person can endure,” the researchers concluded. All too often our pain-denying, death-denying culture does just the opposite: we put suffering people in hospitals and nursing homes, isolating them from normal human contact. Two out of three people die in such institutions, often alone. Every survey shows that a person who is connected with a caring community heals faster and better. Known “enemies of recovery” such as stress, guilt, anger, anxiety, and loneliness are best defeated by a compassionate community.
For whatever reason, God has chosen to respond to the human predicament not by waving a magic wand to make evil and suffering disappear but by absorbing it in person. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” wrote John in the prologue to his Gospel. In the face of suffering, words do not suffice. We need something more: the Word made flesh, actual living proof that God has not abandoned us. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, “Only a suffering God can help.”
Eugene Peterson’s The Message translates the verse in John as “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” What kind of neighborhood to Jesus move into? To answer that question requires a brief history lesson. A succession of great empires tramp through the territory of Israel as if wiping their feet on the vaunted promised land. After the Syrians and Babylonians came the Persians, who were in turn defeated by Alexander the Great. When Alexander died, a series of successors carved up his territory, the most infamous being Antiochus IV Epiphanies, the Jews iconic villain until Hitler.
Frustrated by military defeats elsewhere, Antiochus began waging war against the Jewish religion. He transformed the temple of God into a worship center for Zeus and proclaimed himself God incarnate. He forced young boys to undergo reverse circumcision operations and flogged an aged priest to death for refusing to eat pork. In one of his most notorious acts, he sacrifice and unclean pig on the altar in the Most Holy Place, smearing its blood around the temple sanctuary.
Antiochus’s actions so incensed the Jews that they rose up in an armed revolt led by the Maccabean’s, a triumph commemorated in the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. Their victory was short-lived. Before long, Roman legions marched into Palestine to quash the rebellion and appointed Herod their "King of the Jews." After the Roman conquest, nearly the entire land lay in ruins. Herod was sickly and approaching seventy when he heard rumors of a new king born in Bethlehem, and soon howls of grief from the families of slain infants drowned out the angels’ stirring chorus of “Glory to God... and on earth peace.”
This, then, was the neighborhood Jesus moved into: a sinister place with a somber past and a fearful future.
“When God seems absent, sometimes it’s up to us to show his presence,” he told me. Often the world only knows the truth of Immanuel, “God with us,” because of his followers.
“People said they grew more during seasons of loss, pain, and crisis then they did at any other time.” We discover the value of suffering only by suffering – – not as part of God’s original or ultimate plan for us, but as a redemptive transformation takes place in the midst of trial.
“This is not the worst thing to ever happen! Cancer is so limited. It cannot cripple love, shatter hope, corrode faith, eat away peace, destroy confidence, kill friendship, shut out memories, silence courage, quench the Spirit or lessen in the power of Jesus.” ~Margaret, a Scottish woman suffering with throat cancer
"Affliction is the best book in my library," said Martin Luther. … pain redeemed impresses me more than pain removed. We are concerned with how things turn out; God seems more concerned with how we turn out.
“You can protest against the evil in the world only if you believe in a Good God," Volf also said. “Otherwise the protest doesn’t make sense.”
“I believe that God can and will generate good out of everything, even out of the worst evil. For that, he needs people who allow that everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.
I believe that God will give us each state of emergency as much power of resistance as we need. But he will not give in advance, so that we do not rely on ourselves but on Him alone. Through such faith all anxiety concerning the future should be overcome.
I believe that even our mistakes and failings are not in vain, and that it is not more difficult for God to cope with these as with our assumed good deeds.
I believe that God is not a timeless fate, but that he waits for and responds to honest prayers and responsible action." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Death, said Bonhoeffer, is the supreme festival on the road to freedom.
… that the issue is not whether I agree with someone but rather how I treat someone with whom I profoundly disagree. We Christians are called to use the “weapons of grace,” which means treating even our opponents with love and respect.
I yearn for the church to compete just as hard in conveying what Paul calls the “incomparable riches” of God’s grace. Often, it seems, we’re perceived more as guilt dispensers than as grace dispensers.
God, help me to see others not as my enemies or as ungodly but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your Living Water, which alone quenches deep thirst. ~Henri Nouwen
Faith, I’ve concluded, means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.
Virtually every passage on suffering in the New Testament deflects the emphasis from cause to response. Although we cannot grasp the master plan of the universe, which allows for so much evil in pain (the Why? question), we can nevertheless respond in two important ways. First, we can find meaning in the midst of suffering. Second, we can offer real and practical help to those in need. In his book The Problem of Pain C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” I hesitate to disagree with Lewis, yet that image makes me uncomfortable. It calls to mind a football coach on the sideline yelling at his players through a bullhorn, and some readers may infer from the metaphor that God dishes out something to get our attention. I don’t think Lewis intended such an inference, and for that reason I would change the image from megaphone to hearing aid. When suffering strikes, it gives us, the afflicted ones, an opportunity to turn up the volume and attend to crucial messages that we might otherwise ignore.
Were it possible, we might look beyond the reach of our knowing… Then perhaps we would endure our griefs with even greater trust than our joys. For they are the moments when something new has entered into us, something unfamiliar. … Everything within us steps back; a silence ensues, and something new … stands in the center and is silent. ~Rainer Maria Rilke
"Despair is suffering without meaning," he wrote; and "everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – – to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances." – Victor Frankl
A University researching pain recruited volunteers to test how long they could keep their feet in buckets of freezing water. They observed that when a companion was allowed in the room, the volunteer could endure the cold twice as long as those who suffered alone. “The presence of another caring person doubles the amount of pain person can endure,” the researchers concluded. All too often our pain-denying, death-denying culture does just the opposite: we put suffering people in hospitals and nursing homes, isolating them from normal human contact. Two out of three people die in such institutions, often alone. Every survey shows that a person who is connected with a caring community heals faster and better. Known “enemies of recovery” such as stress, guilt, anger, anxiety, and loneliness are best defeated by a compassionate community.
For whatever reason, God has chosen to respond to the human predicament not by waving a magic wand to make evil and suffering disappear but by absorbing it in person. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” wrote John in the prologue to his Gospel. In the face of suffering, words do not suffice. We need something more: the Word made flesh, actual living proof that God has not abandoned us. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, “Only a suffering God can help.”
Eugene Peterson’s The Message translates the verse in John as “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” What kind of neighborhood to Jesus move into? To answer that question requires a brief history lesson. A succession of great empires tramp through the territory of Israel as if wiping their feet on the vaunted promised land. After the Syrians and Babylonians came the Persians, who were in turn defeated by Alexander the Great. When Alexander died, a series of successors carved up his territory, the most infamous being Antiochus IV Epiphanies, the Jews iconic villain until Hitler.
Frustrated by military defeats elsewhere, Antiochus began waging war against the Jewish religion. He transformed the temple of God into a worship center for Zeus and proclaimed himself God incarnate. He forced young boys to undergo reverse circumcision operations and flogged an aged priest to death for refusing to eat pork. In one of his most notorious acts, he sacrifice and unclean pig on the altar in the Most Holy Place, smearing its blood around the temple sanctuary.
Antiochus’s actions so incensed the Jews that they rose up in an armed revolt led by the Maccabean’s, a triumph commemorated in the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. Their victory was short-lived. Before long, Roman legions marched into Palestine to quash the rebellion and appointed Herod their "King of the Jews." After the Roman conquest, nearly the entire land lay in ruins. Herod was sickly and approaching seventy when he heard rumors of a new king born in Bethlehem, and soon howls of grief from the families of slain infants drowned out the angels’ stirring chorus of “Glory to God... and on earth peace.”
This, then, was the neighborhood Jesus moved into: a sinister place with a somber past and a fearful future.
“When God seems absent, sometimes it’s up to us to show his presence,” he told me. Often the world only knows the truth of Immanuel, “God with us,” because of his followers.
“People said they grew more during seasons of loss, pain, and crisis then they did at any other time.” We discover the value of suffering only by suffering – – not as part of God’s original or ultimate plan for us, but as a redemptive transformation takes place in the midst of trial.
“This is not the worst thing to ever happen! Cancer is so limited. It cannot cripple love, shatter hope, corrode faith, eat away peace, destroy confidence, kill friendship, shut out memories, silence courage, quench the Spirit or lessen in the power of Jesus.” ~Margaret, a Scottish woman suffering with throat cancer
"Affliction is the best book in my library," said Martin Luther. … pain redeemed impresses me more than pain removed. We are concerned with how things turn out; God seems more concerned with how we turn out.
“You can protest against the evil in the world only if you believe in a Good God," Volf also said. “Otherwise the protest doesn’t make sense.”
“I believe that God can and will generate good out of everything, even out of the worst evil. For that, he needs people who allow that everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.
I believe that God will give us each state of emergency as much power of resistance as we need. But he will not give in advance, so that we do not rely on ourselves but on Him alone. Through such faith all anxiety concerning the future should be overcome.
I believe that even our mistakes and failings are not in vain, and that it is not more difficult for God to cope with these as with our assumed good deeds.
I believe that God is not a timeless fate, but that he waits for and responds to honest prayers and responsible action." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Death, said Bonhoeffer, is the supreme festival on the road to freedom.
… that the issue is not whether I agree with someone but rather how I treat someone with whom I profoundly disagree. We Christians are called to use the “weapons of grace,” which means treating even our opponents with love and respect.
I yearn for the church to compete just as hard in conveying what Paul calls the “incomparable riches” of God’s grace. Often, it seems, we’re perceived more as guilt dispensers than as grace dispensers.
God, help me to see others not as my enemies or as ungodly but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your Living Water, which alone quenches deep thirst. ~Henri Nouwen
June 30, 2022
Brilliant as always! Exceptional clarity and refreshing originality. Yancey has that rare ability in which he can look at the same topic in fresh perspective and contribute new insights regardless of how many times he revisits it. Let me just end with three of my favorite quotes from this book:
Quote 1: ‘‘You can protest against the evil in this world only if you believe in a good God. Otherwise the protest doesn’t make sense. [from Miroslav Volf] … After a national tragedy, the media turn to priests, rabbis, and pastors while atheists maintain a discreet silence.’’ p. 124
Quote 2: ‘‘All of us have the power of love. Suffering isolates, batters self-image, ravages hope; a loving presence can prevail over all three.’’ p. 150
Quote 3: ‘‘God provides support and solidarity, yes, but not protection — at least not the kind of protection we desperately long for. On this cursed planet, even God suffered the loss of a Son.’’ p. 137
These are indeed ‘reflections on questions as old as history, and as current as today’s news websites’.
Quote 1: ‘‘You can protest against the evil in this world only if you believe in a good God. Otherwise the protest doesn’t make sense. [from Miroslav Volf] … After a national tragedy, the media turn to priests, rabbis, and pastors while atheists maintain a discreet silence.’’ p. 124
Quote 2: ‘‘All of us have the power of love. Suffering isolates, batters self-image, ravages hope; a loving presence can prevail over all three.’’ p. 150
Quote 3: ‘‘God provides support and solidarity, yes, but not protection — at least not the kind of protection we desperately long for. On this cursed planet, even God suffered the loss of a Son.’’ p. 137
These are indeed ‘reflections on questions as old as history, and as current as today’s news websites’.
August 4, 2021
Answering an eternal question
Reading this now in 2021 after last year's continuance of the very things Yancey wrote about shows how this question never seems to go away and probably never will on this side of eternity.
Reading this now in 2021 after last year's continuance of the very things Yancey wrote about shows how this question never seems to go away and probably never will on this side of eternity.
July 5, 2022
Similar to (and shorter than) What Good Is God?: In Search of a Faith That Matters, but somehow less inspiring
January 20, 2025
Сильна книга про страждання, але вона більше про прийняття їх, аніж про те, як покращити цей світ і зменшити страждання.
Не можу її застосувати щодо війни, бо вона триває і перевищує жахи всіх трагедій, описаних автором.
Він пише про лиха, які закінчилися, але коли наше лихо триває, то ці слова заспокоєння не працюють, на жаль.
Проте багато корисного і цілющого можна з цієї книжки взяти.
Не можу її застосувати щодо війни, бо вона триває і перевищує жахи всіх трагедій, описаних автором.
Він пише про лиха, які закінчилися, але коли наше лихо триває, то ці слова заспокоєння не працюють, на жаль.
Проте багато корисного і цілющого можна з цієї книжки взяти.
April 20, 2020
كتاب جميل وملهم
April 14, 2018
اسلوب جميل وبسيط اشبه باليوميات منه بكتاب ولكن جميل بسيط يطرح تساولات ويجيب عن بعضها ويعصف بذهنك لتفكر في البعض الاخر
July 6, 2019
I was raised Christian but had my born again moment at 11. I realized I needed to read the Bible myself and study it if I was truly to be a good Christian. When I did, I realized something about God.... he’s a shithead.
He does cruel thing after cruel thing, described in great detail in the Bible to punish humans he created imperfectly. I looked around at the world and all the terrible things in it and realized that the God described by the Bible must either be orchestrating these horrors or at the very best, allowing Satan to orchestrate them. I stopped being Christian and became what my former church friends would call “an enemy of the Lord”. But I’ve always maintained that if God could ever give a reasonable explanation for why he either causes or allows so much suffering, I would be Christian again.
I’ve read so many books by Christian authors and always find the same thing. “God works in ways too complex for us to understand. He has bigger plans than this life” blah blah blah. It always boils down to whatever suffering we endure is fine because you’ll be alive in Heaven and things will be good there. I was recommended this book and was excited to hear that Yancey actually answers the tough questions instead of dancing around them with that usual crap. Only to find, Yancey answers no questions but dances around them with the usual crap.
He makes the worst arguments of nearly any Christian “scholar” I’ve read so far. His argument boils down to ‘believe in God because thinking there isn’t a God and you don’t get to live happily ever after in Heaven after suffering is more unpleasant’.
Needless to say I’m proud to continue being an “enemy of the Lord”.
He does cruel thing after cruel thing, described in great detail in the Bible to punish humans he created imperfectly. I looked around at the world and all the terrible things in it and realized that the God described by the Bible must either be orchestrating these horrors or at the very best, allowing Satan to orchestrate them. I stopped being Christian and became what my former church friends would call “an enemy of the Lord”. But I’ve always maintained that if God could ever give a reasonable explanation for why he either causes or allows so much suffering, I would be Christian again.
I’ve read so many books by Christian authors and always find the same thing. “God works in ways too complex for us to understand. He has bigger plans than this life” blah blah blah. It always boils down to whatever suffering we endure is fine because you’ll be alive in Heaven and things will be good there. I was recommended this book and was excited to hear that Yancey actually answers the tough questions instead of dancing around them with that usual crap. Only to find, Yancey answers no questions but dances around them with the usual crap.
He makes the worst arguments of nearly any Christian “scholar” I’ve read so far. His argument boils down to ‘believe in God because thinking there isn’t a God and you don’t get to live happily ever after in Heaven after suffering is more unpleasant’.
Needless to say I’m proud to continue being an “enemy of the Lord”.
May 1, 2018
I was excited to read this book and be challenged mentally and spiritually, but it let me down a bit. The tragic recounts of stories that were told were interesting and heartbreaking, but the same 3 or 4 stories were the main focuses and seemed repetitive after a while. And the author’s comments in between seemed like they were reaching to connect with his theme and the audience, when in reality I wasn’t a fan of them at all. I found myself skimming through the book to find the more interesting bits, and even then it didn’t hold my attention at all. It was a struggle to finish this book, and even now I couldn’t say what the main point of it is because I was just bored by all of it.
February 5, 2014
Thoroughly appreciate this book. It's short enough and easy to read so that someone in the midst of a trial could pick it up without being overwhelmed. He has great insight and deep compassion; however, it's not a terribly deep book, which I don't think it was meant to be, and when I read it I was hoping for some deeper discussion and deeper digging. But over all, it's wonderful.
December 27, 2013
God is with us through suffering and God works through the church to help those who hurt. Go out, do good and be with those who suffer.
April 20, 2014
Rehash of tragedies of 2012 and 2013. No answers.
June 23, 2018
This book was hard to read. I don't mean that it had big words or long sentences. I mean he went on and on about so much suffering in so many different disasters. He sure had plenty to choose from. We don't recover from one before there's another. Imagine if we actually lived through them instead of just catching the headlines.
Actually, I'd rather not imagine. I'd probably like this book better if he'd just tell me the answer in ten words or less. Of course that can't be done, so I don't really blame him, and I'll continue to read more and more of Yancey's books. Of course that list includes Yancey's "Where Is God When It Hurts?", to which this book is a sequel.
If I get just one nugget out of a book it's worth reading. Some books are even worth keeping, but not this one. It's not that there aren't any nuggets, but they aren't short and quote worthy, not bits I'd highlight in my copy if I kept it. But let me try to summarize what I got out of it, as these lessons lingered with me long after each time I set the book down.
Yancey takes us to the biblical story of the man born blind. Jewish tradition was that suffering was punishment for sin. Did this man sin in the womb, or did one of his parents sin? Focusing on the cause leads to accusation, condemnation and blame. Instead, Jesus focused on the effect: this man was suffering, so he healed him. It's like what Mr. Rogers' mother told him when he was a child about bad things happening - look for the helpers. There are always people who are willing to get up and help, and we should focus on them.
Yancey reminds us that God suffered when His son did, yet He sent His son for that assignment. God doesn't cause our suffering, and He won't always protect us from it, but He suffers when we suffer. We're not alone in our suffering because He understands.
When we lose beloved people or things we've lost a gift. We can focus on the loss, or we can cherish memories of the gift.
People can never be replaced. At the end of Job's story, God doubled what he had before. After losing everything Job gained twice as many livestock, but gained only the same number of children he had before, and there was no mention of a new wife. His new children were added to the number of those he'd lost, and if his wife was still alive she was still his wife.
He quotes Bonhoeffer near the end: "I believe that God will give us in each state of emergency as much power of resistance as we need. But he will not give in advance, so that we do not rely on ourselves but on Him alone." I hope he's wrong. I hope that if I face disaster and astounding loss I'd be better prepared, in part from the lessons in this book.
The truth is that I enjoy this book more now that I've finished reading it. While reading I was distressed by so much suffering, but now I'm left with the lessons. I hope to lose the pain and keep the lessons.
Actually, I'd rather not imagine. I'd probably like this book better if he'd just tell me the answer in ten words or less. Of course that can't be done, so I don't really blame him, and I'll continue to read more and more of Yancey's books. Of course that list includes Yancey's "Where Is God When It Hurts?", to which this book is a sequel.
If I get just one nugget out of a book it's worth reading. Some books are even worth keeping, but not this one. It's not that there aren't any nuggets, but they aren't short and quote worthy, not bits I'd highlight in my copy if I kept it. But let me try to summarize what I got out of it, as these lessons lingered with me long after each time I set the book down.
Yancey takes us to the biblical story of the man born blind. Jewish tradition was that suffering was punishment for sin. Did this man sin in the womb, or did one of his parents sin? Focusing on the cause leads to accusation, condemnation and blame. Instead, Jesus focused on the effect: this man was suffering, so he healed him. It's like what Mr. Rogers' mother told him when he was a child about bad things happening - look for the helpers. There are always people who are willing to get up and help, and we should focus on them.
Yancey reminds us that God suffered when His son did, yet He sent His son for that assignment. God doesn't cause our suffering, and He won't always protect us from it, but He suffers when we suffer. We're not alone in our suffering because He understands.
When we lose beloved people or things we've lost a gift. We can focus on the loss, or we can cherish memories of the gift.
People can never be replaced. At the end of Job's story, God doubled what he had before. After losing everything Job gained twice as many livestock, but gained only the same number of children he had before, and there was no mention of a new wife. His new children were added to the number of those he'd lost, and if his wife was still alive she was still his wife.
He quotes Bonhoeffer near the end: "I believe that God will give us in each state of emergency as much power of resistance as we need. But he will not give in advance, so that we do not rely on ourselves but on Him alone." I hope he's wrong. I hope that if I face disaster and astounding loss I'd be better prepared, in part from the lessons in this book.
The truth is that I enjoy this book more now that I've finished reading it. While reading I was distressed by so much suffering, but now I'm left with the lessons. I hope to lose the pain and keep the lessons.
April 5, 2017
“Why are you shocked and upset? What else should we expect from an impersonal universe of random indifference?”
Suffering is a problem. Whether you are an atheist, extreme fundamentalist or somewhere in between, there is a basic need to answer the question of suffering. Why does it happen? What should we do when it happens? Every religion will give you a different response, even in Christianity there is no one accepted response to suffering. Scripture is filled with suffering and people inadequate responses.
I have read many books on pain and suffering. C.S. Lewis is probably the best thinker and author to approach the subject, but Philip Yancey is a very close second place. Yancey has written several classics on suffering including Where is God When it Hurts? and Disappointment with God. This newer title The Question that Never Goes Away continues the conversation.
Over the past decades, we have experienced some of the biggest atrocities history has ever seen. Tsunamis have destroyed civilizations. Terrorists have slaughtered thousands and terrified the world. Gunmen have made our schools combat zones. In these moments, we have looked around and simply yet forcefully asked, “Why?”
Unlike man theologians, Yancey does not try to answer the question. It is foolish to do so. Some “Christian” personalities have blamed these catastrophes on our unfaithfulness or the country’s sinfulness. This is the same method fabricated by Job’s friends during his experience. It is downright foolish to try to make sense of it all.
So what is God’s response to suffering? Fortunately we have a God that has responded. How did Jesus respond to suffering? He definitely did not dole out feel-good philosophies or convenient theology, instead he healed people and suffered alongside them with compassion. Yancey adds, “No other religion has this model of God identifying so deeply and compassionately with humanity.” Usually, the people who observe suffering reject God, but the people who experience suffering need God.
This is a short yet difficult book to read. Yancey does not candy-coat the topic, he fills the book with devastating stories of sufferings, but it is a good reminder that there is a problem but much bigger solution. Once you flip the question around, things make a little more sense, “Where is no-God when it hurts?”
I definitely recommend this book especially after you have read Yancey’s previous works mentioned.
Suffering is a problem. Whether you are an atheist, extreme fundamentalist or somewhere in between, there is a basic need to answer the question of suffering. Why does it happen? What should we do when it happens? Every religion will give you a different response, even in Christianity there is no one accepted response to suffering. Scripture is filled with suffering and people inadequate responses.
I have read many books on pain and suffering. C.S. Lewis is probably the best thinker and author to approach the subject, but Philip Yancey is a very close second place. Yancey has written several classics on suffering including Where is God When it Hurts? and Disappointment with God. This newer title The Question that Never Goes Away continues the conversation.
Over the past decades, we have experienced some of the biggest atrocities history has ever seen. Tsunamis have destroyed civilizations. Terrorists have slaughtered thousands and terrified the world. Gunmen have made our schools combat zones. In these moments, we have looked around and simply yet forcefully asked, “Why?”
Unlike man theologians, Yancey does not try to answer the question. It is foolish to do so. Some “Christian” personalities have blamed these catastrophes on our unfaithfulness or the country’s sinfulness. This is the same method fabricated by Job’s friends during his experience. It is downright foolish to try to make sense of it all.
So what is God’s response to suffering? Fortunately we have a God that has responded. How did Jesus respond to suffering? He definitely did not dole out feel-good philosophies or convenient theology, instead he healed people and suffered alongside them with compassion. Yancey adds, “No other religion has this model of God identifying so deeply and compassionately with humanity.” Usually, the people who observe suffering reject God, but the people who experience suffering need God.
This is a short yet difficult book to read. Yancey does not candy-coat the topic, he fills the book with devastating stories of sufferings, but it is a good reminder that there is a problem but much bigger solution. Once you flip the question around, things make a little more sense, “Where is no-God when it hurts?”
I definitely recommend this book especially after you have read Yancey’s previous works mentioned.
March 10, 2025
In "The Question That Never Goes Away," Philip Yancy, following his earlier work "Where is God When It Hurts?," explores the complexities of pain, grief, and the presence of God in suffering. The book challenges the idea of quantifying pain—whether by its intensity or duration—by suggesting that grief is inherently immeasurable. Rather than comparing hurts, Yancy emphasizes our capacity for empathy and the importance of connecting with others who experience similar pain.
Central to Yancy's argument is the question, "Where is God when it hurts?" This question, he explains, does not lend itself to a simple answer. Drawing on biblical narratives, especially the death and resurrection of Jesus, the book implies that God's plan for the world is revealed through these events. Jesus’ crucifixion, in which even the Father (referred to as Abba/አብ) shared in the suffering, serves as a powerful reminder that God is not distant even when pain seems overwhelming.
Yancy argues that while we may perceive God's absence during moments of intense suffering, it is often up to us to demonstrate His presence. By transforming our own pain and suffering into actions of compassion and support for others, we actively participate in the redemptive work that God has set in motion. This perspective reframes the experience of suffering as not merely a test of faith, but as an opportunity for us to manifest divine love in the world.
Furthermore, the book acknowledges the inherent complexity of a world that permits both good and evil. It suggests that the existence of free will is the reason we see both profound beauty and deep suffering. As C.S. Lewis famously noted, if something has the capacity for good, it equally has the capacity for evil. This duality underscores the idea that the struggles we face are part of the larger tapestry of human existence—a tapestry in which our responses to pain can either contribute to further despair or be transformed into acts of meaningful protest against evil.
Central to Yancy's argument is the question, "Where is God when it hurts?" This question, he explains, does not lend itself to a simple answer. Drawing on biblical narratives, especially the death and resurrection of Jesus, the book implies that God's plan for the world is revealed through these events. Jesus’ crucifixion, in which even the Father (referred to as Abba/አብ) shared in the suffering, serves as a powerful reminder that God is not distant even when pain seems overwhelming.
Yancy argues that while we may perceive God's absence during moments of intense suffering, it is often up to us to demonstrate His presence. By transforming our own pain and suffering into actions of compassion and support for others, we actively participate in the redemptive work that God has set in motion. This perspective reframes the experience of suffering as not merely a test of faith, but as an opportunity for us to manifest divine love in the world.
Furthermore, the book acknowledges the inherent complexity of a world that permits both good and evil. It suggests that the existence of free will is the reason we see both profound beauty and deep suffering. As C.S. Lewis famously noted, if something has the capacity for good, it equally has the capacity for evil. This duality underscores the idea that the struggles we face are part of the larger tapestry of human existence—a tapestry in which our responses to pain can either contribute to further despair or be transformed into acts of meaningful protest against evil.
December 11, 2021
There's nobody like Philip Yancey when it comes to the topic of suffering. His book, "Disappointment with God," was life-changing for me as a young believer. Since then, I've read several of his others, giving most of them 5 stars, as I did this one.
This particular book is just right - it's as brief as possible. It covers very real, very big situations that Yancey ended up addressing about 10 years ago. A school shooting in Connecticut, a tsunami in Japan, and violence in Bosnia. What I appreciate about him so much is his openness and humility, his integrity with God's Word, and his willingness to admit there is no Pollyanna answer to such horrors. I won't even attempt to describe his discussion and approach, because it would minimize the impact of what he says. But I will say this: he gets to the heart of our suffering, and to the heart of God, and does not try to tie a big bow around it all at the end.
Along the way, he quotes such great thinkers, and great sufferers, as Job, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, CS Lewis, Desmond Tutu, Miroslav Wolf, Martin Luther King, and many more. I usually come away from his books with a few more books I know I want to read, and this was no exception.
Read this book. Even if your life feels blissful at the moment (as mine does), it will equip and inform you for your darker days ahead, and to deal wisely and compassionately with those around you who are suffering. And it will open your eyes to the life and heart of God in our midst, who suffers for us and with us, who is very near.
This particular book is just right - it's as brief as possible. It covers very real, very big situations that Yancey ended up addressing about 10 years ago. A school shooting in Connecticut, a tsunami in Japan, and violence in Bosnia. What I appreciate about him so much is his openness and humility, his integrity with God's Word, and his willingness to admit there is no Pollyanna answer to such horrors. I won't even attempt to describe his discussion and approach, because it would minimize the impact of what he says. But I will say this: he gets to the heart of our suffering, and to the heart of God, and does not try to tie a big bow around it all at the end.
Along the way, he quotes such great thinkers, and great sufferers, as Job, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, CS Lewis, Desmond Tutu, Miroslav Wolf, Martin Luther King, and many more. I usually come away from his books with a few more books I know I want to read, and this was no exception.
Read this book. Even if your life feels blissful at the moment (as mine does), it will equip and inform you for your darker days ahead, and to deal wisely and compassionately with those around you who are suffering. And it will open your eyes to the life and heart of God in our midst, who suffers for us and with us, who is very near.
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