PAIN & COMPASSION
POSTS & BOOKS
Pain opens the door to compassion.
Cultivated by the Spirit’s compassion, pain invites us to care deeply for one another, grow together, suffering with one another so that none of us is isolated or alone. Pain opens the door to the Spirit’s compassion in us.
Now I’m sure of this: the sufferings we endure now are not even worth comparing to the glory that is coming and will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
USE MY SCARS TO TELL A GREATER STORY
Lord God, I want my scars to tell a greater story than my pain. Teach me how to let You into the memories and emotions that continue to keep me stuck so they can tell Your story. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
“Teach me by my own small sufferings to be a better minister and friend to those who suffer greatly.” (from Douglas Kaine McKelvey, Every Moment Holy, Volume 1, A Liturgy for a Sick Day)
Blog Posts
Peace that Prevails
I love the word prevail, especially when paired with peace. Knowing I can experience inner calm, even when chronic pain triggers anxiety, settles my soul.
Purpose in Your Pain
The cloak of chronic illness does not define you and does not limit God’s plans for your life. Perhaps you are struggling to see your purpose in your pain. I promise you, my friend, even if you can’t see it, your purpose is there – the Bible says so!
BOOKS WE LOVE
A Letter of Consolation
Henri J.M. Nouwen
This book reflects on the spiritual significance of death and life in this moving meditation dedicated to "all those who suffer the pain that death can bring and who search for new life." A long letter to Nouwen’s father after the death of his mother. A book to pass on to anyone who is going through a period of grief after loss.
Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life Paperback
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Say "no" to a compassion of guilt and failure and "yes" to a compassionate love that pervades our spirit and moves us to action. Discover what it means to be a Christian in a difficult time.
Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering
Kelly Kapic
Too often the Christian attitude toward suffering is characterized by a detached academic appeal to God's sovereignty, as if suffering were a game or a math problem. Or maybe we expect that since God is good, everything will just work out all right somehow. But where then is honest lament? Aren't we shortchanging believers of the riches of the Christian teaching about suffering?
Learning from Henri Nouwen and Vincent van Gogh: A Portrait of the Compassionate Life
Carol A. Berry
This magnificent story of how Henri Nouwen taught about compassion through the life and art of Vincent Van Gough. It will draw you into a deeper appreciation of the beauty surrounding us all.
The Problem with Pain
C.S. Lewis
“If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?” With his signature wealth of compassion and insight, C.S. Lewis offers answers to these crucial questions and shares his hope and wisdom to help heal a world hungering for a true understanding of human nature.
Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God
Tim Challies
An honest look at grief and fears, faith and hope. Combining personal narrative, sound theology, and beautiful writing, this is a book for anyone who has loved and lost. Discover how it is possible to love God more after loss than you loved him before.
Silent Compassion: Finding God in Contemplation
Richard Rohr
Silence is more than the absence of noise. We're invited into His living presence, wholeness of being, and the peace it brings. This Divine silence can absorb paradoxes, contradictions, and the challenges of life.
Walking with God through Pain and Suffering
Timothy Keller
The question of why God would allow pain and suffering in the world has vexed believers and nonbelievers for millennia. This book shows that there is meaning and reason behind our pain and suffering. The author uses biblical wisdom and personal stories of overcoming adversity. He makes a forceful and ground-breaking case that this essential part of the human experience can be overcome only by understanding our relationship with God.