You’re welcome to reproduce it! And did you know I’ll be touring in Australia this fall? Koorong is sponsoring it and would have details.
Philip

I see from your website that you are an author too. Doctor, pastor, author, cross-cultural communicator–you’re a busy man! It honors me to hear that we have connected through my writing. I enjoy speaking in Europe for the very reason you mention: it’s a challenge to my own faith and causes me to dig deep.
Philip

I pray every day that God will heal his soul and free him. I will start to see hope, during times of sobriety and lucidness of mind, then it seems that the devil gets a grip on him again and we’re fighting another round to keep him from sinking totally in the mire of despair and suicide. I never resorted to giving advice, being in recovery for years, I understood that option as not being worth the money spent on it. I have given him God’s truth through the word, which is love and mercy; and hope through sharing my own testimony of healing.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I would also like to thank you for what you did for your friend, because it not only helped to save him, but it is strengthening my hope so that I can continue to be there as a light of hope in my friend’s darkness.

May God continue to bless your life. I look forward to reading your work.

Oh how I wish to meet Dr. Brand in heaven one fine day. Loved Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. I am a nurse only gifted be God with mercy and understanding in a worshiping manner in what we are as created beings, sinful yet forgiven through His gift of Salvation.

I talk about you and what I have learned about the world outside my comfort zone and how our God is so worthy of praise and adoration. Your sense of what Job went through as we sat in the audience knowing the plot but unable to tell Job what was up behind the scenes. I embellished your account of Handel’s Messiah at the end of one of your masterpieces. I read also What’s So Amazing about Grace and have so much more grace myself as I try to see through Jesus and His love.

This is a thrill to spend time talking about all you know and how you have affected me to a point that I have grown in my walk of faith. I am stronger through my loss, even though my life is extremely lonely without good manly hugs and a spouse’s love.

Thank you for the web site and hope you stay well for many more adventures. Can I ever come along? I could help in some way.
Forever grateful, Sherry

In one of my books I say that pain redeemed impresses me more than pain removed. Your own attitude, Sherry, manifests what I mean. Though you have endured your own suffering and loss, you spend your days reaching out to others–including me. Thank you. I had lots of wonderful conversations with Dr. Brand before his death, so I’m very happy to share him with you and many others in the next life!
Philip

I’m acutely aware of the hostility toward Christians from the educated and privileged, amongst whom I am numbered, and where I sheltered as a fundamentalist atheist until 1970, when something happened that shattered the shelter. As a mining engineer, I’ve also had to confront this issue of the literalism in scripture, especially earth-age and evolution, and as a pain-in-the-butt fanatic for answers, I’ve experienced contempt and isolation from within the faith as well as from without. I’ve come to the conclusion that nobody really makes decisions rationally – though I like to think that I do more than most, since I’m aware of the issue. We’re carried by our passions, and when these are dominated by pride, fear, greed or lust, we interpret or ignore the information to satisfy that driver. Unfortunately, having a passion for God doesn’t work any better than having a passion against Him, since if our concept of Him is twisted or limited, we attribute to Him incorrect demands or insensitivities.
Again as an engineer, I’m strongly driven by “What works”, and “What is real?” – not “what do you want to be real?”
CS Lewis is one of my passions, for the above reason, and I see your books in the same light. I’m re-reading “Disappointment with God” (I think for the 4th time) and pondering on whether people realize how important it is to re-read good material, not keep rushing on to the next publication. This is still a landmark book on the issue of facing reality and getting expectations right – the real critical issue behind much of the derision in which Christianity is held by those who should be thanking the faith for their privilege.
I’ve gotten bored with the evolution-new creation debate. It’s only relevant because of the ridiculous division it causes within the faith, and the ridicule it brings to the whole faith from outside, as well as turning off those who would otherwise listen and be healed.
I’m looking forward to getting the new book – have heard good stuff about it.

Please continue to “ask, seek, and knock”, we are all the better for it.

Thank you, Dwain