Suffering well through despair and disappointment.
A conversation with Raleigh Sadler on the MercyCast.
Last July, my book, Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, was released through 1517 Publishing. If you’ve read the book, thank you! If you haven’t, I hope you will consider picking up a copy. Nevertheless, in October, I was delighted to speak on some themes from my book at 1517’s Here We Still Stand Conference in San Diego, California where, among other things, I was fortunate enough to run into Raleigh Sadler. As he and I have joked since, at a conference that is predominantly populated by Lutherans, the Baptists end up finding each other! To imbibe Jeff Goldblum’s titular turn in Jurassic Park, “Baptists find a way.” (Okay, maybe I’m pushing that too far.)
Raleigh and I connected on more than just our common ecclesiastical affiliation. We shared a mutual interest in rightly discerning between God’s word of law and God’s word of gospel, and especially how that distinction is so helpful for imbuing our suffering with hope. A few weeks ago, I was honored to appear on Raleigh’s podcast, the MercyCast, where I was able to talk about my book, the story behind it, and why grace is always available to us even in our darkest moments. Despair and disappointment don’t turn our Savior away. He’s no fair-weather friend. He lovingly embraces us at our worst.
Happy listening!
Grace and peace to you, my friends.