The Question That Never Goes Away - WHY

Author: Philip Yancey

I have been reading Philip Yancey’s books since my teen years. I happened to come across the first one, ‘The Jesus I never knew’ and found Yancey’s voice as an author, to be restrained in probing profound issues, without offering platitudes or trite responses.

This book, ‘The Question That Never Goes Away’, was published last year as a sequel to ‘Where Is God When It Hurts?’ I was surprised to discover Yancey had written the former book when he was only 27, and marveled at the distinctive message he selected, instead of writing on the easily digestible ‘How to win--- and ‘10 steps to a wonderful life--, themed books, which are more or less the order of the day, even among Christian writers.

I eagerly waited for my copy of the ‘The Question That Never Goes Away’ to arrive from Amazon. It was a sleek, slim hardback; the first thing I was surprised by. Not quite sure why, but I’d expected a thicker textbook format; it was a sequel after all, and should answer more questions now, than were answered the first time around - which brings me to the second reason for my surprise with the book.

The Question is more like a journal and tracks the author’s visits to sites around the world struck by tragedy. He travels to Japan reeling from the aftermath of a giant tsunami, to the city of Sarajevo, the location of a bloody civil war where snipers killed thousands of their own countrymen, and the scene of elementary school murders in Connecticut, where a young boy barged into his school and gunned his classmates at point blank range.

Yancey talks about how people turn to him for answers and ask him to address the issues of suffering, ever since he explored this question in his earlier book, 'Where Is God When It Hurts?’ Yet, he confesses that for him too, just like everybody else, the question never goes away. He calls it a ‘groping toward light while living in darkness.’

Yancey’s writings are not merely to be read, they are to be absorbed. I have found myself going back to passages, marking them out, and re-reading them, sometimes to comprehend the gravity of the suggestions, and sometimes to analyze my own beliefs in light of his understanding.

At once, his books are both easy and hard to read. Easy, because all the questions raised, are such pertinent ones. We wonder over them frequently, without having the confidence to articulate them in public. We think of ourselves as having strong faith and do not want to belie this impression that we have of ourselves and present to others.

Hard, because he does not offer very many solutions. If you go looking for a uber-practical check-list that you'd want to hit the ground running with, you will be disappointed.

There is a rediscovery of striking ‘solutions’, actually responses to the problem of pain and suffering, brought forth by the men and women who’ve gone before and just like us, travailed in their spirits.

Yancey rephrases that age-old question to ask instead, ‘Where is the church when it hurts?’ If the people of God respond with Christ-like compassion, people would not torment themselves so much wondering where God was. They would know that God became manifest and visible, through His people.

The book does not close with a remedy for suffering, but presents the fact that it will be ‘redeemed’ if not removed.

Terry Waite, an English author, who was taken hostage in Lebanon and released after 4 years offers an approach to suffering, which gave me comfort and a reason to draw closer and never away, from God. “I have been determined in captivity and still am, to convert this experience into something that will be useful and good for other people. It seems to me that Christianity doesn’t in any way lessen suffering. What it does is enable you to take it, to face it, to work through it, and eventually to convert it.”

Another beam of hope is presented through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's words, a German theologian who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp for resistance to the regime, who is quoted as saying, “I believe that God will give us in each state of emergency as much power of resistance as we need. But he will not give in advance, so that we do not rely on ourselves but on God alone. Through such faith, all anxiety concerning the future should be overcome.’

So, The Question still remains. However, as the book points out, Jesus Himself, never spoke-down to people or lectured them in complex theological tones, but had compassion, and turned around and healed them. The God of the universe did not eliminate suffering, but became flesh, 'moved into our neighborhood' and shared it with us. And he does so, even today. 

This is our great consolation, as we wait for the final restoration on that glorious day. 

Prayer, O. Hallesby

Author: Ole Hallesby (5 August 1879 – 22 November 1961) was a Professor in the Independent Theological Seminary at Oslo, Norway. He was an outspoken opponent of the Nazi occupation of Norway, was arrested and detained at Grini concentration camp for two years (until the end of the war). [Source: Wikipedia].

When I picked up this slim paperback from my Father’s library, I didn't realize this nondescript handbook was a treatise. Neither did I realize how old it was, until I came to a section of the book describing a treatment for tuberculosis, the modern world had long progressed beyond. It prompted me to look up the year of the book’s publication – it was 1931. The only older books I’d read that came to memory were Brother Lawrence’s 17th century book, ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’ and John Bunyan’s timeless classic published in 1678, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’.

‘Prayer’ acknowledges that no Christian would deny the vitalness of prayer, yet we all find it so difficult to pray. The palpable beauty of the book lies in its outlining of the laws governing the prayer life, and simultaneously making the reader realize that prayer is equally remarkable in its simplicity. In Biblical language, prayer is to ‘sup’ with Jesus, conveying the design of prayer as intimate and joyous fellowship between God and man.

Because it’s difficult to adequately review this book and capture its profundity, it will be useful, I think, simply to lay down quotes from its lessons.

What Prayer Is: Prayer is a definite attitude of our hearts toward God, an attitude which He in heaven immediately recognizes as prayer, as an appeal to His heart. Whether it takes the form of words or not, does not mean anything to God, only to ourselves.

The results of prayer are, therefore, not dependent upon the powers of the one who prays. His intense will, his fervent emotions, or his clear comprehension of what he is praying for, are not the reasons why his prayers will be heard and answered.  No! God be praised, the results of prayer are not dependent upon these things!

Difficulties in Prayer: Practice and perseverance. Without practice no Christian will become a real man or woman of prayer. And practice cannot be attained without perseverance.

Prayer as Work: We are inclined to think that when we are real busy in the work of the kingdom of God, then we can without danger spend less time in prayer. It is, therefore, necessary for the Spirit of God to burn into our hearts this mystery, that the most important work we have to do is that which must be done on our knees, alone with God, away from the bustle of the world and the plaudits of men.

Wrestling in Prayer: We are on the whole disposed to emphasize activity in prayer too much. From the time we begin and until we have finished, we are busily engaged in speaking with God. And we feel almost as though there is something wrong or something lacking in our prayer if we do not talk continuously to God.

In the quiet and holy hour of prayer, we should also be still and permit ourselves to be examined by the Physician of our souls. We should submit to scrutiny under the holy and penetrating light of God and be thoroughly examined, spiritually fluoroscoped and X-rayed, in order to ascertain just where our trouble lies.

The Misuse of Prayer: Do you pray for God's guidance in arriving at a decision in accordance with His will? But then you discover that your prayers after all, were not concerned about ascertaining the will of God, but, on the contrary, about getting God's will and blessing to coincide with your own will and purposes in the matter.

The Spirit of Prayer: You will begin to realize more and more that prayer is the most important thing you do; and that you can use your time to no better advantage than to pray whenever you have an opportunity to do so, either alone or with others, while at work, while at rest, or while walking down the street. Anywhere!

We can make use of our time in no better way.

(A free e-version of 'Prayer' is easily available online)