Questions about suffering are on the minds of many in our community. Arising through ageing, tragic loss or uncertainties caused by international instability and domestic cost-of-living pressures, these questions deserve to be answered thoughtfully.
Enter David Tyndall, who has given us a very readable and beautifully presented book, with thoughtful insights into ways God would graciously meet us in our suffering. Born out of his own experience, he writes with a warm empathy for those who are suffering the grief of bereavement and pain – both physical and mental
When he was 20 years old, his mother’s life and his were turned upside down when he became her primary carer, for 12 years, after an accident left her a paraplegic. As David shares his own pain we become participants in his journey, through “Why?” questions about God’s sovereignty and the experiences of God’s grace that sustained him.
The book is worth the read for his own perseverance at this time, during which he entered theological college and was ordained.
Now 80, and a pastor for 50 years, David has learnt well from two teachers and we are the beneficiaries. The first teacher is the Bible, which shows us God’s will and purposes in suffering. What it contains may not be as complete as we might have hoped, but it is certainly clear enough to grow our trust in God.
Secondly, living through his mother’s loss of health, joy and strength, followed by the death of his much-loved father from cancer two years after his mother’s accident, has given David a grounding in suffering that has nurtured him well.
Experiencing these real pressures developed in him a good ear, attuned to the cries of sufferers and those who lovingly stand with them. Accordingly, there is nothing glib in his advice, nor any hint of being a victim.
It was Martin Luther, I think, who said that the three essentials for a good preacher were “Suffering, suffering, suffering!”. Drawing upon his experiences as a local church pastor and sports chaplain (including ministry with para-Olympians) David has given us a real gift that may help us not to shy away from those we know are suffering. Issues such as uncertainty about what to say, hasty quoting of Scripture without good listening, or exposing fears about our own mortality, will be allayed by a prayerful reading of this book.
God, Suffering and the Christian is a gift brimming with love for the Lord Jesus Christ and those experiencing pain and loss in suffering. It has helpful checklists and down-to-earth tips designed to strengthen carers and those in their care. The exposition of relevant Bible passages and themes is extensive, balanced, and – because of his own experience and life of ministry with those walking the paths of suffering – applied sensitively and practically.
I am the richer for reading this book and have no hesitation in recommending it to those who are suffering and to all who want to experience the joy of being willing participants in the receiving and passing on of God’s compassion in the manner commended in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.
It would work well in a book club and with pastoral teams, especially with those who have little first-hand experience of suffering. Strengthening each other’s hearts for this vital ministry will surely attract our Lord’s blessing, since he did teach us to expect troubles and to find our comfort in him (John 16:33).
You can purchase the book here.
Peter Brain has been a pastor since 1975. A former Bishop of Armidale, he continues to do parish work in Perth with his wife Christine.
