Finding God in the Dark : Faith, Disappointment and the Struggle to Believe

KLUCK, TED
MARTIN, RONNIE
FINDING GOD IN THE DARK : FAITH, DISAPPOINTMENT AND THE STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE

An That's hard to remember in the face of disillusionment or heartache. Unbelief and doubt are buried deep within us, especially when we question God's goodness in the face of loss and abandonment. Ted Kluck's world was turned upside down after experiencing a failed adoption, where he found himself propelled into a year of doubt and disillusionment. Ronnie Martin struggled with the kind of identity and idolatry issues that come with being a well-known recording artist, before the unexpected death of his father allowed those sins to be brought to the surface of his heart. It is in the midst of these and other everyday stories that we learn how God reveals His boundless grace to every one of us.

Whether you've lost someone you loved, suffered career failure, or simply been let down by a fellow Christian, it's natural to wonder whether God has forgotten about you. You're not alone. But as a believer, you can trust that overcoming individual challenges will prepare you for a greater purpose. Kluck and Martin's raw revelations about their mistakes and disappointments will help you on your own journey to finding God when you're standing in the dark.

My Review:

A challenging subject to be sure and kudos to the authors for being authentic in their sharing of personal stories to illustrate their point. I found myself startled at times, by sweeping statements, judgements really, about an individual or a group of people which weren't always resolved. That left me feeling unsettled and looking for the light in the message.

Both authors have distinctive contrasting writing styles, which I felt a bit jarring as the perspective yoyoed back and forth. While I feel that it is extremely important to acknowledge that Christians do struggle with faith in the midst of affliction and I appreciated the authors honesty, I found there wasn't a solid enough counter point of view to balance their dark memoirs.  As a reader, I empathized with the authors, feeling their pain and hopelessness and was encouraged by the scriptures and comments, especially in the second half of the book. I just wish the authors had taken it deeper.

A slim volume, Finding God in the Dark could definitely be used as a springboard for discussion but I would hope that participants would be able to add more insights towards solutions that might help those struggling in dark places.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".