LIFE AFTER SUFFERING

Viktor Frankl, an Auschwitz survivor, once said that to be human is to suffer. Suffering is an unavoidable part of life, but how do we engage our suffering in a culture that teaches us to avoid suffering at all costs? Through the telling of two stories, the horrific death of his parents and the exiled Judeans of the sixth century BCE, Chris Williams offers a way of engaging suffering that questions the dominant voices of popular culture. Perhaps hope is not found in avoiding suffering at all costs, but by inviting others into our darkest moments. Chris Williamss intertwining of the exile, suffering, and hope of Judah in the book of Jeremiah with his own personal tragedy and the slow process of healing yields powerful insights into Scripture and human experience. His blend of raw honesty and passionate hope is the fabric of true biblical faith. I doubt that anyone who reads this book with an open heart can remain in despair. -J. Richard Middleton Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College Chris has gifted us with his story, sharing it only after thinking and praying and weeping--and communally so--long and hard and well. Life After Suffering is a deeply moving and personal account of loss and new hope, some of which I personally witnessed, it narrates well Chriss own profound suffering, and does so in a manner theologically well-crafted, and in faithful continuity with the biblical story. --Lee C. Camp Professor of Theology & Ethics Lipscomb University and author of Mere Discipleship There are many books today on suffering. Some offer answers that promise to alleviate pain, others offer explanations as to why our pain happened. Chris offers neither, because as someone who has seen unbearable suffering, he knows that easy answers and reasons do not bring hope. With great humility, Chris speaks of suffering through the reality of an enduring and abiding hope. He points us towards a path, a journey to walk. It is a