Storyline Fall 2018

Walking with God
THROUGH
PAIN
AND
SUFFERING
BOOK REVIEW BY MARLIS SABO
Plague, pestilence, poverty, persecution, political instability … at no point in history are we more able
to view the endless human suffering in the world. At the same time, at no point in history has the pervading
worldview left people with so few strategies to face personal or population suffering. Suffering is both inevitable
and inescapable, so what is one to do? Rev. Timothy Keller wants you to “take life seriously” and the goal in his
book Walking with God through Pain and Suffering is to help you live well and joyfully despite suffering. Using
familiar characters and metaphors, current and ancient thinkers and personal testimonies, Timothy Keller
journeys through the philosophical, theological, and practical considerations of facing suffering. Combining these
disciplines creates a more challenging work, but he successfully makes the case for why all three are important
for a fuller understanding. The introductory chapter is very helpful in this regard.
Keller begins by presenting the Christian view of suffering alongside the dual pitfalls of ancient pagan philosophies
and modern secularism. We are not innocent bystanders in our own existence tasked with bravely accepting
whatever comes along. We’re also not helpless victims of meaningless suffering in an uncaring universe. To
illustrate, Keller draws both from biblical and secular sources. He’s done a good job keeping what could be difficult
content at a clear and accessible level for a lay person. Extensive citations and footnotes give the reader a chance
to explore further.
The next stop is an unpacking of essential Christian beliefs. We have a sovereign, good God in absolute control of
the universe who works to redeem the effects of evil, a God who has suffered through Christ on the cross, and,
because of this, we can have certainty of salvation and the promise of full bodily resurrection. This starting point is
different from a secular one … secularism cannot offer any such assurances. That worldview says this life is all you
get and pointless if you can’t get what you want out of it. It adds that suffering is both accidental and meaningless
and utterly without redemption. In contrast Keller clearly emphasizes the importance of the essential Christian
truths. If the reader hasn’t embraced them, the rest of the book is probably not going to be useful. Everything
hinges on this part of the discussion.
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