First Things invites you to view a book discussion with author J. Todd Billings and R. R. Reno.
What are we to think when we endure sickness and suffering? What about death? How is God present in the darkness of our lives? In this conversation, J. Todd Billings talks about his new book, Rejoicing in Lament: Wrestling with Incurable Cancer & Life in Christ, which is based on his experiences of being diagnosed with a blood cancer, undergoing a long and painful treatment, and facing the reality of death. His spiritual breakthrough came when he turned to the Psalms for guidance in prayer. There he found learned the theological meaning of lament, a mode of prayer that gives full expression to our suffering and loss while calling upon God’s power and covenant love.
J. Todd Billings is Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America and author of several books, including Union with Christ and Calvin, Participation, and the Gift.
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