Comments on: Hope in the Dark

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 23:35:02 +0000

In reply to Juvelyn Lumberio. That's an excellent question, and I've written three book circling around the question, most recently The Question That Never Goes Away. The best clue is to look at how Jesus responds to those who are suffering or have experienced loss. He never lectures, implies that "God took them away," or even proposes theological answers. Rather, he responds with compassion and healing. That surely does not answer the question, but it shows that God is on the side of the one suffering, not the one causing the suffering. I wrote about this more directly in Where Is God When It Hurts. I'm glad you care enough to want to support your friend. --Philip

By: Juvelyn Lumberio

Juvelyn Lumberio — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 07:41:08 +0000

Hi Philip!

I just want to ask something…

Some woman who’s husband just died in the hospital said..
“How can I love a God who took away the one I love?”

I’m thinking, as Christians, how can we answers questions like this?

Thank you and I hope I get to hear from you.
God bless.

By: Jill McKechnue

Jill McKechnue — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 00:09:27 +0000

Thank you so much for this wonderful, inspiring story about the prison in Angola and the work of prison fellowship int’l. around the world. I was just wondering recently if the ministry Chuck Colson started was still going strong, and I’m glad to hear that it is.

By: Tony G.

Tony G. — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 02:23:43 +0000

Western culture as a whole has totally forgotten what the word redemption really means. We hear it mostly in sports, but we can’t actually redeem ourselves and it goes so much deeper than that. To be redeemed you have to have someone who is willing to sacrifice money, time, gifts and talents, social standing, and even their jobs. And they gladly do it…for you. Your redeemer sees you as someone that is worth sacrificing for because they see the unique possibly that is you.
Every time I listen to someone’s story, or read (or in this case see a video) about someone that have gone through horrible and horrific circumstances and there has been a person who is willing to sacrifice, ready to pay a price for you, I can’t help but think that God’s favorite word is redemption. Someday I might write a book with that title, “God’s Favorite Word is Redemption”. It would have a little theological foundation, but it would mostly be people stories.
In my mind I heard that word again; REDEMPTION when watching the video that you linked to. When I hear it in my mind there are times it sounds like a soft and warm piece of classical music (something like Henryk Grecki’s “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs”) and other times it rings more like heavy metal music (maybe something like Guns and Roses or Ozzy). Either way redemption is a story, that like a piece of music, is written on people’s hearts and just waiting to be sung.

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 20:59:40 +0000

In reply to Phyllis.

That’s an excellent question. All I can say is that numerous times in the Gospels (including the Lord’s Prayer), Jesus links our willingness to forgive others to God’s forgiveness of us. Jesus doesn’t explicitly answer your question, but I take it as a solemn reminder of how important it is that we follow God’s example in forgiving the undeserving. Perhaps you’ll find more clarity in the rest of the book.
–Philip

By: Phyllis

Phyllis — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 01:30:58 +0000

Hi – this comment is not exactly connected to the above post, however I couldn’t find anywhere else to ask this question about What’s so Amazing about Grace? which I began reading today. If God will forgive and extend grace to everyone from the murderer to the rapist to the sex trafficker (and me and you), you mean to say He draws the line and will not extend grace to my husband (or me or you) for not forgiving a friend? The whole book is about how God gives His gift of grace to ALL for all sin and evil. Why is this sin excluded? Thanks.

By: Lisa Erwin

Lisa Erwin — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 16:59:49 +0000

My husband has been out just over five years after serving 33 years hard time. He recently fully committed his life to Christ. Amazing, and what a story of hope we tell wherever we go.

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 01:34:39 +0000

Thank you. I have just finished watching the video, and reading the post. So inspiring. We have just returned from remote Indigenous communities in Western Australia, where there are similar issues to those in the US (Indigenous incarceration rates are 15 times higher than non-Indigenous). I really appreciated this comment. –
America would not be the world capital of incarceration if it could figure out a way to intervene in the lives of young men before they commit acts of violence, rather than after. “We had to have a victim to send them here and get them prepared to go back into society and be successful. God help us, somebody has to be hurt, murdered or killed before we will recognize the problem we have and go back and fix it.”

I’m very thankful for your writing and look forward to reading your blog each month. Thank you, and God Bless you.