To those who experience death of a loved one or a temporary defeat, disappointment, let down
need time to grieve
Learn that although there is hardship, there are blessings
while there is suffering, there is also grace,

God, why?
Can you find comfort in His answer?
We should go back to the time where we wore armbands, so everyone knows we are mourning/suffering
I lost my breasts from cancer - How do I carry on? In the time of my loss, let others be aware.

Each chapter is full of thought provoking scriptures and biblical perspective.
Ends with questions for reflection.

Here is the world, beautiful and terrible things will happen.
Guide us to emotional and spiritual survival in this world.
God's grace is present in our lives. Open yourself.

Beautiful and Terrible Things is a thoughtful reflection on the juncture of suffering and Christian faith. Author Christian M.M. Brady explains that he experienced the death of a young son a few years prior to writing this book and has spent a great deal of time thinking on and studying the question of why such a terrible thing could have been allowed to happen to his family. There are a number of common responses to the related but broader question, "if God is good, why is there evil and suffering in the world?" Brady takes time to compassionately discuss what it means to grieve and his recommendations for doing so in a healthy manner. He tackles the questions of the sovereignty of God and the presence of sin, but ultimately returns to the quintessential idea that no matter why suffering occurs, it's more important to respond in compassion and love than with any number of theological debates. Scripture, according to Brady, does not give a conclusive answer as to why there is suffering in the world, but it does tell us that 1. God has not abandoned us 2. it is okay to grieve 3. we still have hope and 4. there are practical steps each person can take toward healing and restoration.
I personally have not experienced the loss of a close family member (yet), and the raw emotion that is occasionally revealed in this book was somewhat lost on me. However, I appreciate the reminder that even in my small daily griefs, I am not helpless and lost, but can have hope.
For more thoughts on suffering, particularly in relation to chronic illness, feel free to check out my blog
http://theunquestionedsilentobserver.blogspot.com/2020/09/another-one-about-suffering-but-also.html?m=1
Thank you to NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press for providing me with a copy of this book for review

We recently lost my father-in-law so I read this while in the very beginning stages of grieving him.
The title comes from a quote by Christian writer Frederick Buechner who said, "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." Author Christian Brady is a professor and Christian scholar who has experienced a profound loss of his own. He uses his own experiences with grief and well thought out bible passages to remind us that God is and has always been with us, even amidst the worst of suffering.
Brady also reminds us that grief and loss aren't unique to death. That recognizing things like job loss, relationship loss can create those grief feelings. And gently points out that God is in those moments, too.
A beautifully written book that has brought me moments of peace during my own grieving process. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. But God is still God and God is always good.

Grief is a very personal emotion. No one can tell you how to grieve or for how long. As the author points out, grief may be experienced through various types of loss, not just death. Currently, we are seeing people experience loss through death, health issues, jobs, and companionship. However, often these losses are not acknowledged as needing to go through the grieving process.

This book takes the reader through the faith journey of grieving loss. The author revolves that journey around a quote from Christian theologian Frederick Buechner which states: “…Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.…” to remind the reader of the two sides of life that are always present—suffering and grace. Utilizing occurrences in Scripture, other moments in history, and reflection questions at the end of each chapter, the author aims to help the reader move forward in their grieving.

As a person of faith who is currently moving through the grieving process, I found that the author presented much to consider. As stated before, a loss may occur in so many different ways. There are things we read and hear about but do not fully relate to until we are experiencing our own sense of loss. The author does a great job of connecting these ideas so the reader may gain strength and encouragement for their journey while remaining realistic and hopeful.

This book is a valuable faith-based resource for personal use as well as for others who are moving through this grief process. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley. However, the thoughts expressed are my own.

Beautiful and Terrible Things by Christian M.M. Brady is a poignant book for anyone grieving a loss of any kind. Brady's perspective is one of hopeful lament. Living in a terrible yet beautiful world, with loss can be done. We can cry out to God with questions, and yet praise Him for the small glimmers of hope along the way. Many great lessons to consider in this book and I am thankful to have read it in such a time as my family is going thru with losing our Father. I bought the book for everyone in my family!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is truly an inspiration and will help you regardless of the grief that you are facing. It doesnt matter if it was yesterday or 10 years ago, you can relate to this book.

Anyone who has suffered is going to have something to say that just touches your soul. I can´t even imagine the pain this author went through. Last year and this year I have been reading about pain, lament, and suffering. It is very interesting to me to see how a lot of "Christians" seem to have all the answers and advice when you are talking about a disease, sickness, a loss, and everything, but they lack mercy, empathy, and compassion. I don´t want to be lick that (probably that is why I like to read about this topic this much.

"If Jesus can challenge God, if Jesus can weep and grieve and ask God to spare him the pain and hardship, then so can we. So should we" pk 135

"Our response to hardship and grief does not need to be pious silence, but outrage and anger are acceptable! God is big enough and can handle our frustration and bitterness. God wants our honesty so that we can be honest with ourselves. God wants us to share all of our selves, including our pain, and God wants to be present with us in our suffering, through our suffering". pk 194

😭 Read this:
"This book is my lament. It is my complaint to God that our son was taken from this life. It is not right, and it cannot be justified. This is also my declaration of thanksgiving as I remember God’s presence throughout our lives, the grace and joy of Mack’s birth, the mutual love of Mack and his sister, and the brilliant vibrancy of his life. It is a recounting of God’s faithfulness to all creation and a confession of my faith in Christ. In lamenting the loss of Mack and affirming the grace of God present with us in the midst of our grief, I also call upon God to hear our prayers, the prayers of all who grieve and mourn, and to grant us the deep and abiding assurance of the hope of the resurrection: Be present and grant us your peace!"

Heartbreakingly, a book after my own soul. This book takes on the tough and hard-to-handle circumstances that are thrown our way. What better way to handle it, then to give it to God? Exploring the depths of accepting past difficulties and moving forward with the Lord’s everlasting love, this book had me engulfed.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is truly an inspiration and came at a time when I needed it the most. No matter what kind of grief or despair you facing right now, this book will bring you comfort.

How do you prepare for the death of a family member?Is it different for a Pastor, Chaplain or Biblical scholar? Brady is an American Scholar who specializes in Biblical Literature and he was NOT prepared for the passing of his eight years young son. Brady holds up Scripture and says if Jesus can ask God, if Jesus can challenge God and ask God to spare Him the pain and suffering so can we, AND we should. I'm sure this will be eye opening for some.
The beautiful aspect of grief is what's so special about this read and I won't spoil it for you but think of David in the Bible and a few of his Psalms. I wish this book was in front of me when I lost all my furbabies and my dad.

I seem to be reading a lot of books about grief lately as I deal with the death of loved ones. The author speaks from personal experience as he grieves the loss of his son. Everyone deals with grief differently and this book provides much food for thought. I wish it had been available to download on Kindle which is easier for me to read but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read this book.

I could not even get past the second chapter in this book because the theology was so against everything that I have been taught by a multitude of pastors over the years. Was also disappointed that it did not bring in any of the New Testament passages on suffering which is based more to the age we are living in right now. The Psalms are great for comfort but there are also more pertinent books in the New Testament that apply to suffering in our day. EG First Peter. Overall I was very disappointed as I was hoping to be able to recommend this book to a friend who’s husband is dyeing. This review will go no further than NetGalley.

The author is grieving over the loss of his son. I am suffering over the loss of my father and the condition the country is in. Mr. Brady explains that it is okay to be mad and even holler at God. But it is not God who causes these pains. It is our own choice of something that caused this. Or possibly the community around us. But God did not cause it. There may be no explanation at all.


I expected this to be more about grief and it was but also explaining why these “horrible” things happen. I really didn't know what to expect but the explanation of why bad things happen did help me

This book was what I needed to read right now. I've been struggling with mental health issues, and this book has helped me redefine what it means to suffer and why pain exists.

This is a difficult book to read. Mr Brady writes about the death of his son. His grief is palpable from the introduction and throughout. He tells us that it's ok to grieve. Jesus grieved. Everyone grieves and must grieve. Mr Brady leads us through the process and gives us hope in the end.
If you have lost a child this book will absolutely tear your heart out. Our daughter died in an accident at a swimming pool. She was dead for 30 minutes that we know of before my husband (who does CPR every single day, multiple times a day) was able to bring her back. This was at a church event and when I looked around everyone was on their knees praying. Plus they had called our church and had everyone in the building praying as well. I know that's what brought her back. And she swears she met Jesus. She said he told her she would be alright. In fact, her first words upon waking were to yell, "I'm alright! Everything is going to be alright!" That was 9 years ago, she was revived and I still struggled through this book.
This is a wonderful book. Full of faith and hope. I pray that if you need this book that you will find it and it gives you hope.

Professor Brady has authored a book entitle “Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope.” The book’s title is a concise summary of the purpose of the book written by Christian Brady, an Old Testament scholar and all-around smart fella about a subject close to his heart...his grief triggered by the sudden death of his much-loved son, Mack. Professor Brady has done a terrific service to those of us (and there are a lot of “usses” that have gone into that dark and deeply intimate place where each breath is emotionally and physically painful. I was attracted to the book due to my wife and my journey through four miscarriages, the loss of a baby girl (Grace) at birth, plus the traumatic birth and death of our 8 year old son (Jonathan.).
I was uncertain what I expected from Brady’s book: (1) was it orthodox responses to pain and tragedy; (2) was it to be taught new understandings of coping with great loss; (3) or, more likely, was it to reopen my own painful wounds about our family losses and simply wanted the comfort of being with someone (at least via a manuscript) that went through something similar — and as the saying goes “ misery loves company.”
Brady successfully combines the intimacy of one’s personal journey with the profound teachings embedded in the Word of God. Being told at our son’s funeral that “he is in a better place” still cuts deeply after a quarter of a century. Christian Brady has done us the healing service of pointing to the Biblical testament of faith, perseverance, hope, and the promises of an eternity spent in heavenly joy.
My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read “Beautiful and Terrible Things.” Five star reviews do not come easily for me. This time all those stars are warranted.

Christian Brady, university professor and Old Testament scholar, writes of what the Bible has to say about dealing with grief and mourning, suffering and challenging times. He also writes about his personal struggles with grief and depression following the death of his beloved eight-year-old son, Mack.

Brady shows readers how to be open with God about all that they are feeling and experiencing in their life, good or bad, and to let themself fully feel the emotions that accompany their situation. He references Biblical Scriptures that challenge us to reframe our thinking about God as one who controls everything and thereby allows unmerited suffering, to having a mindset that God's children have always lived in a world full of hardships, suffering, and catastrophes, and that it is through faith, perseverance, hope, and the promises given by a loving God through the resurrected Christ that we can make it through the personal challenges that seem insurmountable. Christians are not guaranteed lives of ease and free of pain. Rather, they have faith and hope that this suffering and grief is but a moment in overall time and, therefore, can be endured.

This is a highly readable book; it is interesting, easy to understand, and very relatable. It will surely help and give hope to any Christian who is dealing with suffering, grief, and/or hard times and questioning why?

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Westminster John Knox Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.