Helping the Suffering (Book Review)

Sitting on my desk on my return from holiday was an envelope enclosing a little book by FIEC pastor James Muldoon and his wife Jennie (Carey Baptist Church, Reading). It’s a two-hour read; it moved me to tears; did my soul good; and caused me to think about how to care for fellow believers who are suffering trials of many kinds.

James and Jennie tell their story with honesty, brevity and clarity. I won’t steal their thunder by telling it - you will need to read the book. Suffice to say they suffered a series of events in their family circle, each of which brought pain and sorrow.

There is nothing sugar-coated about their story, but their godliness shines through. They tell how the local church family walked with them through their pain and how they proved the grace of our Lord Jesus to be sufficient in their weakness time and time again.

The book is in two parts: part one tells their story; part two shares seven things they have learned and are learning as a result of their experiences. They share them to encourage God’s people to help each other in times of suffering and trial.

This is not a complicated book, but it is a deep book. It is an accessible book with a significant message.

It is a brilliant book to encourage the members of a local church to read so that we might be helped to walk with each other through suffering in a way that honours our Lord Jesus.