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God on muteEngaging the silence of unanswered prayerOpen theism, open woundsGOD ON MUTE God on Mute is written for those who struggle with the disappointments, frustrations and hurts of unanswered prayer in the face of suffering. Pete Greig writes with rare honesty as he shares the pain of his wife’s fight for life. Gritty, engaging, witty yet gentle, sympathetic and sincere. In troubled times, an honest, understanding friend who knows our pain is just what we need. But in those times, we also need a friend who will bring us the comfort of Scripture - that we have a good and sovereign God who is working out all things, even suffering (especially suffering?), for the good of those who love him (Romans 8.28). God on Mute robs us of this deep and mysterious comfort and looks instead to a God who ‘chooses to limit his own power’ (p.179). Here is a God who ‘does not always get his way on earth’ (p.201). Here is a God whose sovereign will may be defied and defeated by nature, or by demons, or by me, or by you (chapters 7-8). Here is a God in whom there is no comfort at all. To still our fears in the face of suffering we must inform our knowledge of God by the Bible, not by our experiences. Greig makes no reference to the weight of biblical texts which contradict him. The Bible leaves us no doubt: God is in control. His power is not limited. He always gets his way on earth. ‘He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth’ (Daniel 4.35). Whatever our circumstance, Christians can be sure that our loving Father is in control and has a loving purpose in it. ‘Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love’ (Lamentations 3.32). By stripping God of his control, Greig denies us the comfort that brings. When the truth of God is abandoned, so is the hope and strength to face suffering. In the face of pain and unanswered prayer, we need a book of hope, comfort and profound biblical insight. God on Mute is full of empathy, but it is not that book. Turn instead to Jerry Bridges' Is God Really in Control: Trusting God in a World of Hurt (NavPress, 2006). Stuart Dean,
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