Episode 229: Let’s Get a Proper Theology of Suffering | Kelly Kapic

Suffering, eh? Sounds … super … fun. 

Ya know, the older we get, the more we realize just how important our theology of suffering is when we are … well, suffering.

As Kelly Kapic said in today’s episode, “You don’t realize how flimsy your theology of suffering is until you use it as a resource to live on.” 

For example, if we think suffering should be escaped, *when* we suffer we will try to outrun it. (Which is hard to do if we are enduring physical pain.)

If we think suffering should be embraced, *when* we suffer we might try to make it our identity.

Let’s get a proper theology of suffering with someone who isn’t just a theologian of suffering but someone who knows it personally: Author Kelly Kapic. Together, we talk about:

How can we suffer with high hope and high lament?

How can we deal with our chronic pain of the soul or body?

What is up with the book of Job? Is God a bully or kind?

How can we pivot our hearts to suffer well now or in the future?

 

| Highlights |

• “You don’t realize how flimsy your theology of suffering is until you use it as a resource to live on. It’s like trying to exist on saltine crackers, and you think, ’No, I need some real nourishment here.’” —Kelly Kapic
• “How we respond to suffering really does betray a lot of our view of God.” —Kelly Kapic
• “The unsettling thing about Job is that God never answers Job’s questions. He doesn’t. The answer to Job’s question is that God shows up.” —Kelly Kapic

| QOTW |

Space or ocean? Which is better?

| Next Steps |

• Find Kelly’s book here.
• Find Kelly’s articles on TGC here.
• Connect to O’Neill Asset Management here.
• Join the HIMH Pod FB group here.
• Follow Laurie on IG (where she is the most active) here.