The Sacredness of Suffering

The Sacredness of Suffering is the product of interaction with the heartbreak and suffering of the hundreds of people with whom I have walked with in our spiritual journeys. My own personal journey of suffering, coupled with my understanding of the Bible, has made it evident to me that suffering is a means of grace. And since pain and suffering, in one form or another, are common to all, they must have a sacred purpose. It is a motif that runs throughout the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. It was the primary means by which our Savior learned obedience (Hebrews 5:8), and for that reason alone, suffering may be considered sacred. I concede that the title of this book may suggest morbidity, but its pages and the soundness of its theology will not only comfort those who read it but could lead them to embrace suffering as sacred and a primary means of grace whereby they are conformed to the image of Christ.

-- Ronald L. Williams, DMin.