Life After Suffering

by Chris Williams, Benji Ballmer (Foreword by)

Overview

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 Williams's 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 Chris's 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 journey where we do not need to suffer alone, where we find comfort in the presence of others and of God, and it is ultimately the place where we find hope and a future through the midst of overwhelming pain. --Aaron Moore President and Founder of Solace Counseling Speaker for To Write Love On Her Arms ""Chris Williams is a survivor and his memoir is nothing less than a survival manual for those struggling with their own inexplicable suffering. His poignant words pulsate with pain and at the same time, astonishingly, testify to hope beyond unspeakable loss, the possibility that one can somehow get through the worst of times. For this we are deeply indebted to the author!"" --Louis Stulman author of Order Amid Chaos ""In his book, Williams masterfully invites us deep into the recesses of suffering . . . using Jeremiah and his own story as a backdrop for hope, understanding, and even appreciation for the valleys we travel. This book is a tremendous guide for all who have, will, or continue to walk through the shadows of suffering."" --Don Schiewer Jr. Pastor New Harvest Christian Church Chris Williams has earned a MDiv and has served in a variety of pastoral contexts. Most importantly, he is a fellow sojourner along with his wife and three children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606087015
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	01/12/2011
Pages:	166
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Chris Williams has earned a MDiv and has served in a variety of pastoral contexts. Most importantly, he is a fellow sojourner along with his wife and three children.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Before We Begin … 1

Movement 1 Death and All His Friends

1 Coming Out of the Garage 11

2 Irrevocable Loss 31

Movement 2 The Moment of Inescapable Waiting

3 Black Thursday 51

4 Weeping Alone…Together 68

5 Suffering With 88

Movement 3 A New Song to Sing

6 Hope Arising 110

7 Judah's New Song 129

Conclusion 146

Acknowledgments 149

Bibliography 151

Contact the Author 153

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Chris Williams's 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 Chris's 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 journey where we do not need to suffer alone, where we find comfort in the presence of others and of God, and it is ultimately the place where we find hope and a future through the midst of overwhelming pain.
—Aaron Moore
President and Founder of Solace Counseling
Speaker for To Write Love On Her Arms

"Chris Williams is a survivor and his memoir is nothing less than a survival manual for those struggling with their own inexplicable suffering. His poignant words pulsate with pain and at the same time, astonishingly, testify to hope beyond unspeakable loss, the possibility that one can somehow get through the worst of times. For this we are deeply indebted to the author!"
—Louis Stulman author of Order Amid Chaos

"In his book, Williams masterfully invites us deep into the recesses of suffering . . . using Jeremiah and his own story as a backdrop for hope, understanding, and even appreciation for the valleys we travel. This book is a tremendous guide for all who have, will, or continue to walk through the shadows of suffering."
—Don Schiewer Jr.
Pastor
New Harvest Christian Church

Editorial Reviews

"Chris Williams's 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 Chris's 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 journey where we do not need to suffer alone, where we find comfort in the presence of others and of God, and it is ultimately the place where we find hope and a future through the midst of overwhelming pain.

—Aaron Moore

President and Founder of Solace Counseling

Speaker for To Write Love On Her Arms



"Chris Williams is a survivor and his memoir is nothing less than a survival manual for those struggling with their own inexplicable suffering. His poignant words pulsate with pain and at the same time, astonishingly, testify to hope beyond unspeakable loss, the possibility that one can somehow get through the worst of times. For this we are deeply indebted to the author!"

—Louis Stulman

author of Order Amid Chaos



"In his book, Williams masterfully invites us deep into the recesses of suffering . . . using Jeremiah and his own story as a backdrop for hope, understanding, and even appreciation for the valleys we travel. This book is a tremendous guide for all who have, will, or continue to walk through the shadows of suffering."

—Don Schiewer Jr.

Pastor

New Harvest Christian Church

From the Publisher