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The Question That Never Goes Away
What Is God Up To In A World Of Such Tragedy And Pain?
by Philip Yancey
At only 138 pages this is not a long book, but then it doesn’t need to be. Yancey isn’t trying to beat us with the academic and theological arguments for why there is pain, suffering, disaster and tragedy. Rather he is laying out a simple, honest and reasoned look at a difficult subject that every one can understand, and in that respect it is filled with honest consideration and insight.
It’s a personal book filled with Yancey’s own stories and reflections from tragedies such as Japans Tsunami, the shooting at Newtown, Conneticuit, and many other horror stories. And in Yancey’s usual way he doesn’t ignore the complexity of the issue, but he does work through it using insight from both theologians—such as Bonhoeffer—and biblical characters—such as Job—to show how there can be things found in turmoil, terror and pain that we might not otherwise see.
Somehow, as always with Yancey, this doesn’t come over as empty platitude but something deeper and more real.
Taken from his ‘blog’ as it were, this book is eminently readable and a great book for anyone wanting something easy to read but deep to consider.
Reviewer: Melanie Carroll (15/01/14)
