Description
Of all the hurdles to faith, surely suffering must be the greatest. It tears lives apart and raises questions for us all.
But when we ask ‘why?, to whom are we addressing our question? Where do the most satisfying answers come from? Does it matter?
Sharon Dirckx unpacks our questions sensitively and wisely, weaving her arguments with real-life stories of anguish and pain
She concludes, ‘I would like to show you that, even though we don’t understand everything, it is still possible to believe in a powerful, loving God and acknowledge the reality of evil and suffering. Not only that, but seeing life from this perspective helps us make more, not less, sense of our hurting world.’
While we may never have all the answers, it does not mean that there are no answers at all.
Commendations
‘Written with the heart of a mother as well as the mind of a scientist, Why? is not only profound, but tender and comforting. This book is not just about suffering, but written by one who knows suffering to others who are suffering themselves.’ – Os Guinness
‘When I was 16, my sports career was called into question when I was run over by a speed boat and got caught in the propellers. Sharon’s book puts words and reason to what I instinctively knew in my heart the day I became an amputee: God loves me, God is good, God is all powerful, and God was mourning the loss of my leg alongside me. I flipped between anger and thankfulness that my life was spared, but the experience of God’s peace was constant. Sharon does a brilliant and honest job of explaining this paradox.’
– Stefanie Reid, Paralympic Medallist
‘Lucid, empathetic and Biblical, this engaging treatment of the enigma of human suffering speaks both to the confused mind and the aching heart, with wisdom, logic and grace. I warmly commend it.’
– David J Jackman, Past President, The Proclamation Trust
‘I love the way Sharon wrestles with the truth. She turns it inside out and inspects its seams. She shakes it to see what falls out. She looks at it through the grid of real life, and defines it with doctrinally solid, scripturally sound conclusions. Both moving and challenging.’
– Jennifer Kennedy Dean, author of Live a Praying Life, and Executive Director of The Praying Life Foundation
‘Sharon writes with sensitivity and insight about the painful reality of suffering in our world which will, in one way or another, affect us all. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone asking the deep questions of life.’
– Amy Orr-Ewing, UK Director, Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics
