"How Long, O Lord: Reflections on Suffering and Evil" by D.A. Carson. A Short Review

 

For what it's for, it's an important and helpful work. As Carson points out repeatedly, this book is not for those in the midst of misery and suffering now (though the final chapter does speak to them). Instead, it "is more in the way of preventative medicine" (247). And the reason for this is that one "of the causes of devastating grief and confusion among Christians is that our expectations are false." Once we enter into tragedy or suffering, if our beliefs are "out of step with the God who has disclosed himself in the Bible and supremely in Jesus, then the pain from the personal tragedy may be multiplied many times over as we begin to question the very foundations of our faith" (9).

Carson works through first steps and false steps. Then he moves on to examine the price of sin, social evils, poverty, war and natural disasters. He pursues this track through several other important questions and topics, and ends analyzing the providence of God. He will make a case for what he calls "compatibilism." This is where we hold, with Scripture, the full sovereignty of God in tandem with human liberty, as it regards suffering, evil, etc. As he will say earlier in the book, "free will must not be defined in such a fashion as to make God contingent" (35).

I found much of the book beneficial. I especially appreciated his approach to justice, and what is going on when I pray to God for justice (180). I shared this section with my congregation in a letter just this past week. I highly recommend the book.