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Suffering and the Courage of God: Exploring How Grace and Suffering Meet

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As much as we might yearn for a different reality, truth is, there's suffering in life and plenty of it. Illness of body, mind or spirit, loss of loved ones, loss of job or meaning or friendships, disappointments and pain-all these and more can cause our hearts to ache, our minds to blacken and our bodies to bend under the crushing weight that can come as we battle against suffering. But we can choose another way, says priest and author Robert Corin Morris. In his recent and hope-filled book, Suffering and the Courage of God (Paraclete Press, 2005), Morris provides those who suffer-all of us-with a large dose of encouragement by showing us that the way we face suffering will make a difference. We can choose how we respond to suffering.

Morris sets the stage by discussing suffering as a real presence in life and positions choice as a way to move through suffering. "It is the way suffering is faced," Morris explains, "that makes the difference between whether pain, sorrow, difficulty, deprivation, or challenge becomes a part of our self's stretching or shrinking." Openly citing his own struggles with depression and weaving in the stories of other lives, Morris suggests that the way through is not by "redemptive suffering," as though suffering itself had "some curative value," but by "suffering redemptively," which Morris defines as facing suffering "with a courage and compassion that can clear our minds for creative responses to adversity." To choose suffering redemptively is to choose healing and transformation.

For Morris, that path has been a challenging one. By throwing away the image of Jesus' suffering presented to him in childhood, Morris came to see the suffering Christ "not as a helpless victim but as a subtle victor, courageously engaged in a deep struggle against the power of any victimizing force to undo us. His suffering is not borne passively, but embraced actively by a love and life bigger than any suffering." Believing that "all our sufferings are carried in an even bigger and stronger courage-God's own courageous love," enabled him to embrace his own "inward hum of pain" rather than running from it. Instead he worked through this pain, step-by-step, into a deep and profound healing.

Morris proposes that all courage begins in the heart of God. Not traditionally on the list of divine attributes, it was surprising to consider courage as a quality possessed by God, yet Morris sees God's courage implied in the stories of the Bible. Whether or not one can believe fully that courage is an attribute of God, embracing even the smallest belief that we can tap into a courage bigger than our own will surely lift the spirits. Envisioning the expansiveness of God's love and walking into this vision is so much more helpful in suffering than trying to just push away fear, anger or helplessness which is always a futile action. Stepping into the limitlessness of God opens us to the power of the Spirit that heals in surprising ways.

Morris presents resources that we can use to meet suffering redemptively. Prayer is our most immediate resource as we connect to what is life-giving-the love of God for us. God is our Divine Resource. We are encouraged to find joy in whatever happens, always striving to be connected to the goodness of God. Morris also reminds us that we were not to be not alone but to be with others in suffering. He brings us into a bigger sphere, that of the world, proposing that how we suffer "either helps or hinders the progress of God's gracious purposes." Not content to just explain his ideas, Morris provides helpful, heart-expanding exercises for facing suffering redemptively. Titles like "breathing into the spaciousness of God" and "investing in the treasury of the heart" invite reader to enter into the goodness of God.

Although the title points about suffering and God's courage, the main focus of the book is on how we can transform suffering into something that is life-giving. As in his other books, Morris has chosen beautiful, touching stories to illustrate and illuminate his ideas. The book is graced with constructive thoughts and transforming suggestions for suffering to become an opportunity for growth and is a timely help for those of us trying to make sense out of, not only our own suffering, but also the suffering caused by events like the September 11 terrorist attacks and recent hurricanes in the South. And while I'm not 100% sold on the idea that courage is an attribute of God, Morris has convinced me to give this theology a try.

I loved this gem of a comforting and instructive book that creatively links suffering with the courage and grace of God. Coping with both the small and large challenges of living are placed within an innovative framework of "suffering redemptively." This idea of embracing and learning from all that happens to us is supported by strong biblical references, refreshing ideas, "up close and personal" illustrative stories, and practical implementation strategies. Going beyond individual life challenges, this book also deals with ways to helpfully support suffering friends,family and the world through prayer and action. Robert Corin Morris' "Suffering and the Courage of God" is highly recommended as a heart centered

path that can lead from suffering to understanding and embracing the underlying and ever present goodness of the Divine. This book truly presents important sacred wisdom for our troubling times.

Sue Zivi

This book gave me new ideas about God. First, that God, having given us the freedom to choose the path we want to follow, takes the risk that we will choose a "Good" one. Second, that this freedom takes enormous courage on God's part because things may not work the way that God would prefer.

I also found the exercises at the end of the book very useful in giving me methods to enhance my spiritual journey.

The author has woven into whole cloth refreshing threads of insight from Holy Scripture, ancient and contemporary sages, blood and gut testimonies of friends' struggles with their spiritual battles all intertwined with his own soulful journey through doubt and fear. Inspite of the fact that the subject matter is profound the Book is a page turner. The familar passages from the Bible are revisited with such insightful application to the human contemporary dramas protrayed that the reader is eagerly drawn to see how the author will offer spiritual resolution with each story. God is transformed into the most compelling Friend one could possibly want. This Book will be my Christmas present to many.

Morris tells us our suffering touches the heart of God and illustrates with many psalm phrases from the Bible. He also brings Jesus near as we walk together through Gospel stories that speak to our problems. He explains through personal accounts as well as others" stories how to face suffering by finding moments of grace and beauty in daily life that have the power to transform us. I find the spiritual exercises enhance my prayer life. This is a book to awaken us today, offering the best fuel for the journey.

I don't remember how I happened to come across this book but it came to me just before I was diagnosed with an advanced cancer. It's wisdom helped me find the courage to face and to defeat my illness. It's about the mystical and spirtual realities of deep suffering and the unexpected grace and growth that can come about.