I first became aware of Nashville superstar pastor Pete Wilson when he followed me on twitter. I popped over to his blog, and his wife’s, and found him warm and likable. So I followed him back and have been watching him from afar for many months. I was intrigued by the book he was finishing up: Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? With a subtitle like that, who wouldn’t be? When I had the opportunity to receive a copy for review, I jumped at the chance.
Suffering is a part of the christian life, and this question is one that I grapple with a lot. Pete’s analysis is honest, Christ-centered and pastoral. If you want an academic discourse on the problem of suffering, look elsewhere. This book is surprisingly easy to read, something I appreciated considering the foggy haze suffering can bring. Knowing that there aren’t any easy answers to the question, I appreciated the reinforcement of basic truths that Plan B provided.
Wilson uses stories from the Bible and the experiences of his friends to explain suffering from a Biblical perspective. I might have done it differently, and spent more time talking about how things will be different someday in the new heavens and the new earth. Explaining how Christ has started to redeem the world and make all things new. However, Plan B is a hopeful book, and a good one, and will be a good resource to the church in the years to come. (8.5/10)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.â€