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Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain
When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.
Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.
Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2016
About the author
Matt Bays
4 books6 followersMatt Bays is a writer, speaker, and musician with a passion to call people out of their hiding places. In ministry for twenty years, he and his wife, Heather, live in Indianapolis with their fun-loving and insightful teenage daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 1, 2016
I think it's really hard to rate something so personal, but if you're looking for an inspirational book, this is a good place to start. The writing is easy and casual, like you're having an intimate conversation with the author. Some of the personal accounts tread into murky waters but this adds to the reminder that we all suffer lows in life. I was able to find several inspirational and thought provoking insights to take away that I find myself thinking about often, almost daily, in fact. I would definitely recommend this to any Christian reader.
March 25, 2016
Bays tackles – with grit and grace – some of the deepest and darkest questions that touch every soul at some point in life. If you personally haven’t thought them (because we don’t dare say them out loud), someone close to you has… is… will. This isn’t an easy read. It’s gritty at times. It’s uncomfortable. It asks questions and relates scenarios that we don’t like to consider. And in the interest of full honesty, I don’t agree with everything Bays asserts or always how he asserts it… BUT… the main idea behind Finding God in the Ruins is a vital one that desperately needs to be in the hands of anyone who has ever walked away from God – or wanted to. Our pat answers aren’t cutting it anymore – for ourselves, and certainly not for anyone else. You won’t find pat answers in this book, and while I can’t embrace all of his points, I appreciate the passion behind them.
Finding God in the Ruins would be a very good resource for a small group discussion … both for groups of unchurched/dechurched as well as for “native Christians” who are open to stretching their comfortable faith a bit. This is a key question – When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? – and one that more churches and followers of Jesus need to embrace and address.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
Finding God in the Ruins would be a very good resource for a small group discussion … both for groups of unchurched/dechurched as well as for “native Christians” who are open to stretching their comfortable faith a bit. This is a key question – When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? – and one that more churches and followers of Jesus need to embrace and address.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
March 21, 2016
This book is written from the author's heart and he doesn't hold back or mask his life. It's an open, honest laying bare his life and his feelings about that life.
Matt's childhood was definitely one of the most difficult childhoods I've ever heard about. He was abused in ways that make you cringe and break your heart. It all starts to catch up with him and he knows he must deal with it and get counseling. This is after he has been a pastor for a number of years and has been wearing a mask that all is well.
Matt says many of the things that so many of us feel when we are experiencing pain or are living with the aftermath of that pain. He turns from God and questions why He would allow these things to happen and then comes full circle to realize that he can't live his life without God.
While this book is really great in so many ways, Matt does say some things that make me uneasy. For instance, he quotes Psalm 44 and says that David is thinking ill of God. While David is questioning why God is allowing these things to happen, I do not believe that David is actually thinking ill thoughts towards God. He also says, "When the God of your church origin gives you the remedial cliche for your pain time and time again, there's not a thing wrong with sticking your middle finger right in his face." Really?! God is still GOD! This isn't something I would do to another person, let alone the Lord. This is the perfect example of what is wrong with many American Christians today. We want to bring God down to our level and there is a loss of reverence for the Creator of us all. This is not the only thing he shares that makes me shake my head.
This book is definitely from the heart and written with an open heart. I did get a lot from the book but caution the reader to be aware and to be discerning when reading the book. This book has gotten a lot of press and sometimes people tend to overlook the questionable things and just accept it without question because of the hype. As I said, be discerning.
I still think it's a book that can help us in the healing of our broken places and to help us understand that God's ways are not our ways but that He fully loves us. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Matt's childhood was definitely one of the most difficult childhoods I've ever heard about. He was abused in ways that make you cringe and break your heart. It all starts to catch up with him and he knows he must deal with it and get counseling. This is after he has been a pastor for a number of years and has been wearing a mask that all is well.
Matt says many of the things that so many of us feel when we are experiencing pain or are living with the aftermath of that pain. He turns from God and questions why He would allow these things to happen and then comes full circle to realize that he can't live his life without God.
While this book is really great in so many ways, Matt does say some things that make me uneasy. For instance, he quotes Psalm 44 and says that David is thinking ill of God. While David is questioning why God is allowing these things to happen, I do not believe that David is actually thinking ill thoughts towards God. He also says, "When the God of your church origin gives you the remedial cliche for your pain time and time again, there's not a thing wrong with sticking your middle finger right in his face." Really?! God is still GOD! This isn't something I would do to another person, let alone the Lord. This is the perfect example of what is wrong with many American Christians today. We want to bring God down to our level and there is a loss of reverence for the Creator of us all. This is not the only thing he shares that makes me shake my head.
This book is definitely from the heart and written with an open heart. I did get a lot from the book but caution the reader to be aware and to be discerning when reading the book. This book has gotten a lot of press and sometimes people tend to overlook the questionable things and just accept it without question because of the hype. As I said, be discerning.
I still think it's a book that can help us in the healing of our broken places and to help us understand that God's ways are not our ways but that He fully loves us. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
March 28, 2016
But once we understand we are worthy of love and belonging, that’s when we’ll find God in the Ruins. That’s when we’ll give God access to the broken places within us. And that’s when we can begin again.
Matt Bays has a lot to grapple with–an abusive, incestuous childhood, a dear sister with terminal cancer–as a man of faith, a pastor. He questions this faith and goes on a quest to find out what true redemption looks like, producing this gem of a book. Using stories from all walks of life, you will find something here that is not only relatable, but will perhaps give you a little bit of light in your own darkness. Bays uses his own recovery through counseling and faith-seeking to tell his story with much bravery and candor. Powerful and real.
Provided by LitFuse Publicity
Matt Bays has a lot to grapple with–an abusive, incestuous childhood, a dear sister with terminal cancer–as a man of faith, a pastor. He questions this faith and goes on a quest to find out what true redemption looks like, producing this gem of a book. Using stories from all walks of life, you will find something here that is not only relatable, but will perhaps give you a little bit of light in your own darkness. Bays uses his own recovery through counseling and faith-seeking to tell his story with much bravery and candor. Powerful and real.
Provided by LitFuse Publicity
March 28, 2016
You’re familiar with the adage about the first impression being the right one. In this case, I found that to be true. To explain: My first impression included a glimpse at the cover image, the title, the back cover copy, all of which led me to a positive conclusion and the desire to read the book. Then, my second impression: I started to read, and my initial impression faded. Not for poor quality, I hasten to say–the book is commendably well written–but for content. What I was reading was, quite honestly, a downer. The book begins with the author’s back story, and I felt he was relating to pain in a misery-loves-company kind of way. It struck me as a book written to those dwelling in the pit who despise it when people outside of the pit try to tell them it’s going to be okay.
What I thought he was saying was that people should not be so quick to offer comfort and encouragement when others are suffering. And I resisted this stance because when life is going sideways on me and my faith weakens at the knees, I want someone in a position of strength to reassure me. I want their hope to buoy me until I can grasp onto it myself.
At this point, I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to go on, but the author was compelling enough that I persevered–and now I’m so glad I did. Turns out, he wasn’t going there at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. Of course, it’s still true that people need to choose their moments and their methods for offering encouragement. You don’t tell someone in the depths that there’s sunshine at the top for them to see, if only they could shake off the chains of negativity. Instead, sometimes–most times, in fact– what is needed is an “I’ve been there” listening ear and an acceptance, a willingness to share the burden.
It was a few more pages in that I really caught the author’s vision:
“The older I’ve gotten, the greater my doubts have become, which is not something I feel the need to cure. The frustration we feel with God is fair, and I worry more about those who resist an honest doubt or two. As I’ve heard it said, unexpressed doubt can be toxic.
Opening my hands and allowing the spiritual clichés and wrongly applied Scripture verses to slip through my fingers was the beginning of my liberation from the simplistic and defective answers to life’s most powerful and haunting questions.” (p. 39)
Ah. Okay, now I’m listening.
Later on, there was this little gem as well:
“Sometimes if feels as if God has invited himself into my pain, when I had hoped to be invited into his healing. We want a God who heals our wounds, but we have a God who heals our hearts.”(p. 133)
Yes. But where it really clicked was when he started talking about the importance of telling our stories as a part of our healing. He quoted Maya Angelou: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Amen. I’ve seen this and know it to be true. We need to tell our stories–for our own sakes, and for others’.
He quotes again, this time Brennan Manning: “‘In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others.'”
And then Bays goes on to say this:
“Wounds need air. If something is kept in a bandage too long, it doesn’t get better; it gets infected, and that infection can become toxic. The wounds on our souls also need air. Vulnerability, saying what happened, means ripping the bandage off so our stories can breathe.” (p. 169)
Oh, there’s so much truth to this, and Bays explores it all in beautifully nuanced detail.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and David C. Cook for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.
What I thought he was saying was that people should not be so quick to offer comfort and encouragement when others are suffering. And I resisted this stance because when life is going sideways on me and my faith weakens at the knees, I want someone in a position of strength to reassure me. I want their hope to buoy me until I can grasp onto it myself.
At this point, I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to go on, but the author was compelling enough that I persevered–and now I’m so glad I did. Turns out, he wasn’t going there at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. Of course, it’s still true that people need to choose their moments and their methods for offering encouragement. You don’t tell someone in the depths that there’s sunshine at the top for them to see, if only they could shake off the chains of negativity. Instead, sometimes–most times, in fact– what is needed is an “I’ve been there” listening ear and an acceptance, a willingness to share the burden.
It was a few more pages in that I really caught the author’s vision:
“The older I’ve gotten, the greater my doubts have become, which is not something I feel the need to cure. The frustration we feel with God is fair, and I worry more about those who resist an honest doubt or two. As I’ve heard it said, unexpressed doubt can be toxic.
Opening my hands and allowing the spiritual clichés and wrongly applied Scripture verses to slip through my fingers was the beginning of my liberation from the simplistic and defective answers to life’s most powerful and haunting questions.” (p. 39)
Ah. Okay, now I’m listening.
Later on, there was this little gem as well:
“Sometimes if feels as if God has invited himself into my pain, when I had hoped to be invited into his healing. We want a God who heals our wounds, but we have a God who heals our hearts.”(p. 133)
Yes. But where it really clicked was when he started talking about the importance of telling our stories as a part of our healing. He quoted Maya Angelou: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Amen. I’ve seen this and know it to be true. We need to tell our stories–for our own sakes, and for others’.
He quotes again, this time Brennan Manning: “‘In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others.'”
And then Bays goes on to say this:
“Wounds need air. If something is kept in a bandage too long, it doesn’t get better; it gets infected, and that infection can become toxic. The wounds on our souls also need air. Vulnerability, saying what happened, means ripping the bandage off so our stories can breathe.” (p. 169)
Oh, there’s so much truth to this, and Bays explores it all in beautifully nuanced detail.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and David C. Cook for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.
October 6, 2015
At times this was a very difficult book to read. The author's personal revelations of the way he was mistreated as a child and things he had been through in his life left me with tears running down my cheeks for the pain that he felt. He also shared other stories that were difficult. I pressed on although the book often left me feeling depressed and brought to mind things in my life that had been difficult for me.
The author's wavering back and forth about whether or not to believe God, got a bit old after awhile. However,there were some good points in the book and I appreciated the author's honesty and his unfolding spiritual development. I feel the book will be largely beneficial to many people because the author's questions about whether God really cared throughout the book, or was He just silently watching the things that happen on earth are ones that are shared by many. I think that people who refuse God because He doesn't step in and put an end to all the evil in life question God, and perhaps also many Christians do because their prayers are not answered.
I'd like to add that C S Lewis stated in one of His books that it wouldn't be free will if God stepped in every time someone did something evil. If He stopped you from hitting someone, or having an affair--where is the free choice in that? Can you imagine that it wasn't possible to do one evil deed? Would we develop and grow or be Stepford children incapable of acting like anything but robots?
The author's wavering back and forth about whether or not to believe God, got a bit old after awhile. However,there were some good points in the book and I appreciated the author's honesty and his unfolding spiritual development. I feel the book will be largely beneficial to many people because the author's questions about whether God really cared throughout the book, or was He just silently watching the things that happen on earth are ones that are shared by many. I think that people who refuse God because He doesn't step in and put an end to all the evil in life question God, and perhaps also many Christians do because their prayers are not answered.
I'd like to add that C S Lewis stated in one of His books that it wouldn't be free will if God stepped in every time someone did something evil. If He stopped you from hitting someone, or having an affair--where is the free choice in that? Can you imagine that it wasn't possible to do one evil deed? Would we develop and grow or be Stepford children incapable of acting like anything but robots?
March 21, 2016
ONE OF THE MOST BLASPHEMOUS BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ. VERY DISAPPOINTED. FULL REVIEW TO COME. SOME SHOCKING QUOTES FROM THE BOOK BELOW:
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
THAT IS NOT THE GOSPEL! THAT IS A LIE. BLASPHEMY. EVERY QUOTE I HAVE SHARED HERE IS OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT GOD!
''When God was thirteen he never faced any kind of trial. I imagine when he was in his twenties, he cared for himself and enjoyed the presence of his own good nature....''
''Sometimes when I've said all I've need to say, God says back to me, ''I'm sorry for all you've gone through, matthew.'' And then when I've accused him and spoken the kind of words that would make your blood run cold, he's simply said, ''Are you finished?'' This natural back-and-forth is our relationship...''
''...I wonder if God's basement is also crowded with those of us he doesn't trust- you know, the fringy sort who pretend things are good, who never trust the relationship enough to speak up and tell him the truth. Maybe God liked Job and David best because they were honest with him. Afraid? Probably. But not too afraid to tell him exactly what they thought or write songs that accused him and put him on trial. .....maybe he longs to hear our hearts speak out in pain, even if in the end we blame him. ''
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
BLASPHEMOUS!!!
Full review:
I love reading books about suffering because they help me grasp an idea of what life should be. They make my problems shrink to insignificant shadows and give me a bigger heart for others. I have been blessed to read (and review) several which I learned from and recommend: And It Was Beautiful, The Hardest Peace, Another Valley Another Victory, Bronner, and Soaring Above the Circumstances. I expected this book to be similar but not too far into the book I sensed that the author has a very different theology than the Bible teaches. By the time I got to the following quote I was extremely alarmed!
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
No true Christian can ever say this of God! I'm sorry, but there is no excuse for such a statement.
Early on in the book, the author kind of laughs about the fact that he went forward at his church to ''be saved'' on a dare and honestly states that he was not saved then. Unfortunately, Matt Bays never again mentions his salvation and never gives the reader any assurance that he indeed found redemption later on! In fact, he is quite honest about his sinful life growing up (following the response to the altar call at age 8 or so) and he is also honest that while he was a pastor and song leader he had major doubts. It's as if he is boasting of his doubt and confusion. What kind of Christianity would that be? Sorry, but when God saves, He saves completely. We are not made perfect, but we are regenerated and with the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Before we were dead and now we are made alive and there is no way a true believer can say such things as the following quotes from ''Finding God in the Ruins'': ''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
''Sometimes when I've said all I've need to say, God says back to me, ''I'm sorry for all you've gone through, Matthew.'' And then when I've accused him and spoken the kind of words that would make your blood run cold, he's simply said, ''Are you finished?'' This natural back-and-forth is our relationship...''
''...I wonder if God's basement is also crowded with those of us he doesn't trust- you know, the fringy sort who pretend things are good, who never trust the relationship enough to speak up and tell him the truth. Maybe God liked Job and David best because they were honest with him. Afraid? Probably. But not too afraid to tell him exactly what they thought or write songs that accused him and put him on trial. .....maybe he longs to hear our hearts speak out in pain, even if in the end we blame him. ''
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
BLASPHEMOUS!!!
Another reviewer of this book also noted the following which likewise upset me as I read the book: there are parts of his story that bother me. He was in pastoral work, leading worship, during many of the years of his doubt. He says he would lead songs for the congregation yet not believe what he was singing. He performed a wedding for his cancer ridden sister and her live-in boyfriend when the divorce from her previous husband had not been finalized. Bays says he felt they were already married in God's eyes so performed the ceremony.
Bays quotes Psalm 44, saying David calls God a liar and a cheat. There was no reference in my galley so I did some research and found the reference of Psalm 44:11-12. I cannot find any translation that is even close to what Bays says it says. Not The Message, not the NLT.
Immediately upon reading this book, I put up some quick comments and direct quotes from the book while I pondered how to write my review.
ONE OF THE MOST BLASPHEMOUS BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ. VERY DISAPPOINTED. FULL REVIEW TO COME. SOME SHOCKING QUOTES FROM THE BOOK BELOW: (I inserted quotes which are shared earlier in this review)
THAT IS NOT THE GOSPEL! THAT IS A LIE. BLASPHEMY. EVERY QUOTE I HAVE SHARED HERE IS OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT GOD!
Matt Bays, the author of ''Finding God in the Ruins'' responded to my thoughts as following:
I'm sorry you didn't like the book, Mazzou. I sincerely am. My hope is to come alongside the broken of this world - those who are hurting so deeply, so they will know they are not alone. Many people (and you may not know this yet) are so angry with God and feel they cannot express it. They have been through unspoken cruelties and walked away from their faith because they were afraid to be honest with God about their pain. Who will reach out to them? They are not responding to the sanitized and easy answers so many of our churches are providing.
If you read the Psalms you will find David calling God a cheat and a liar. "You've deceived us," he says to God. Yet he WASN'T considered blasphemous...but instead called "a man after God's own heart." I do respect your opinion, and I know it's not an easy book...but if Finding God in the Ruins is blasphemous, you'd have to call the book of Psalms and the book of Job blasphemous as well. God restored a murdering, broken King David, who hurled insults his way more than once. He can (and has) restored me as well. Peace and love, and so many good things.
In response to these comments; I don't really see David hurling insults at God. Many of the Psalms begin with a desperate tone because David was human and also, as he lived before Christ, he did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. However- David usually ends such Psalms with turning to God as His source of strength, hope and joy! And let me emphasize: David did NOT call God a ''cheat and a liar''. That may be a crazy misunderstanding from reading ''The Message''; when I find out I will update this review! In fact, David DID say the following...Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. (Psalm 69:9)
As for people who are hurting- they NEED a perfect, sovereign God! If God is made human-like and if we can simply treat him like our younger brother what strength can we find in Him? We need an infallible, unchanging, eternal God WHO MAKES NO MISTAKES to serve and worship and rely on. I'm sorry if people are offended by that- there are churches which are mistaken on various things; there are people who call themselves Christians yet who aren't and therefore cause more harm than good to unbelievers; there are Christians who have not learned to love like Christ loved. But that is no excuse for these broken people. They are responsible before God and if they turn away, they simply weren't His! I can only hope that those broken people would find true Christians who can help them.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
THAT IS NOT THE GOSPEL! THAT IS A LIE. BLASPHEMY. EVERY QUOTE I HAVE SHARED HERE IS OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT GOD!
''When God was thirteen he never faced any kind of trial. I imagine when he was in his twenties, he cared for himself and enjoyed the presence of his own good nature....''
''Sometimes when I've said all I've need to say, God says back to me, ''I'm sorry for all you've gone through, matthew.'' And then when I've accused him and spoken the kind of words that would make your blood run cold, he's simply said, ''Are you finished?'' This natural back-and-forth is our relationship...''
''...I wonder if God's basement is also crowded with those of us he doesn't trust- you know, the fringy sort who pretend things are good, who never trust the relationship enough to speak up and tell him the truth. Maybe God liked Job and David best because they were honest with him. Afraid? Probably. But not too afraid to tell him exactly what they thought or write songs that accused him and put him on trial. .....maybe he longs to hear our hearts speak out in pain, even if in the end we blame him. ''
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
BLASPHEMOUS!!!
Full review:
I love reading books about suffering because they help me grasp an idea of what life should be. They make my problems shrink to insignificant shadows and give me a bigger heart for others. I have been blessed to read (and review) several which I learned from and recommend: And It Was Beautiful, The Hardest Peace, Another Valley Another Victory, Bronner, and Soaring Above the Circumstances. I expected this book to be similar but not too far into the book I sensed that the author has a very different theology than the Bible teaches. By the time I got to the following quote I was extremely alarmed!
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
No true Christian can ever say this of God! I'm sorry, but there is no excuse for such a statement.
Early on in the book, the author kind of laughs about the fact that he went forward at his church to ''be saved'' on a dare and honestly states that he was not saved then. Unfortunately, Matt Bays never again mentions his salvation and never gives the reader any assurance that he indeed found redemption later on! In fact, he is quite honest about his sinful life growing up (following the response to the altar call at age 8 or so) and he is also honest that while he was a pastor and song leader he had major doubts. It's as if he is boasting of his doubt and confusion. What kind of Christianity would that be? Sorry, but when God saves, He saves completely. We are not made perfect, but we are regenerated and with the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Before we were dead and now we are made alive and there is no way a true believer can say such things as the following quotes from ''Finding God in the Ruins'': ''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
''Sometimes when I've said all I've need to say, God says back to me, ''I'm sorry for all you've gone through, Matthew.'' And then when I've accused him and spoken the kind of words that would make your blood run cold, he's simply said, ''Are you finished?'' This natural back-and-forth is our relationship...''
''...I wonder if God's basement is also crowded with those of us he doesn't trust- you know, the fringy sort who pretend things are good, who never trust the relationship enough to speak up and tell him the truth. Maybe God liked Job and David best because they were honest with him. Afraid? Probably. But not too afraid to tell him exactly what they thought or write songs that accused him and put him on trial. .....maybe he longs to hear our hearts speak out in pain, even if in the end we blame him. ''
''God's own story was full of disorder, his past every bit messed up as mine. And when God saw how out of control things had gotten, he sent his son to clean things up.''
BLASPHEMOUS!!!
Another reviewer of this book also noted the following which likewise upset me as I read the book: there are parts of his story that bother me. He was in pastoral work, leading worship, during many of the years of his doubt. He says he would lead songs for the congregation yet not believe what he was singing. He performed a wedding for his cancer ridden sister and her live-in boyfriend when the divorce from her previous husband had not been finalized. Bays says he felt they were already married in God's eyes so performed the ceremony.
Bays quotes Psalm 44, saying David calls God a liar and a cheat. There was no reference in my galley so I did some research and found the reference of Psalm 44:11-12. I cannot find any translation that is even close to what Bays says it says. Not The Message, not the NLT.
Immediately upon reading this book, I put up some quick comments and direct quotes from the book while I pondered how to write my review.
ONE OF THE MOST BLASPHEMOUS BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ. VERY DISAPPOINTED. FULL REVIEW TO COME. SOME SHOCKING QUOTES FROM THE BOOK BELOW: (I inserted quotes which are shared earlier in this review)
THAT IS NOT THE GOSPEL! THAT IS A LIE. BLASPHEMY. EVERY QUOTE I HAVE SHARED HERE IS OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT GOD!
Matt Bays, the author of ''Finding God in the Ruins'' responded to my thoughts as following:
I'm sorry you didn't like the book, Mazzou. I sincerely am. My hope is to come alongside the broken of this world - those who are hurting so deeply, so they will know they are not alone. Many people (and you may not know this yet) are so angry with God and feel they cannot express it. They have been through unspoken cruelties and walked away from their faith because they were afraid to be honest with God about their pain. Who will reach out to them? They are not responding to the sanitized and easy answers so many of our churches are providing.
If you read the Psalms you will find David calling God a cheat and a liar. "You've deceived us," he says to God. Yet he WASN'T considered blasphemous...but instead called "a man after God's own heart." I do respect your opinion, and I know it's not an easy book...but if Finding God in the Ruins is blasphemous, you'd have to call the book of Psalms and the book of Job blasphemous as well. God restored a murdering, broken King David, who hurled insults his way more than once. He can (and has) restored me as well. Peace and love, and so many good things.
In response to these comments; I don't really see David hurling insults at God. Many of the Psalms begin with a desperate tone because David was human and also, as he lived before Christ, he did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. However- David usually ends such Psalms with turning to God as His source of strength, hope and joy! And let me emphasize: David did NOT call God a ''cheat and a liar''. That may be a crazy misunderstanding from reading ''The Message''; when I find out I will update this review! In fact, David DID say the following...Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. (Psalm 69:9)
As for people who are hurting- they NEED a perfect, sovereign God! If God is made human-like and if we can simply treat him like our younger brother what strength can we find in Him? We need an infallible, unchanging, eternal God WHO MAKES NO MISTAKES to serve and worship and rely on. I'm sorry if people are offended by that- there are churches which are mistaken on various things; there are people who call themselves Christians yet who aren't and therefore cause more harm than good to unbelievers; there are Christians who have not learned to love like Christ loved. But that is no excuse for these broken people. They are responsible before God and if they turn away, they simply weren't His! I can only hope that those broken people would find true Christians who can help them.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 26, 2018
Raw and honest.
This book has touched me enormously. As everybody who has been faced (or who has been fighting) with the question of : God, why had/have you let THIS happen/happening to me? - I got and I am overwhelmed by the depth of anger, suffering and questioning Mr Bays is showing here. Don´t get me wrong - I think that all the people (the more sensitive maybe more/inmore depth, maybe!) feel this. But Mr Bays is very honest to SHOW you his pain, anger and doubt to the core.
And he is also astonishingly honest to speak about the very taboo subject (and more, he was a pastor when writing the book) - sexual abuse. And the worst of the words: incest.
Ah. Just for this honesty: kudos.
The honesty is healing.
And some of the thoughts are healing, too. Like that that God is not just simply with us in the moment of our pain, but that He is violated with us. This is not the new thought for me, but in this context it got a whole new dimension.
So why just 3 stars?
Honestly, am I am pained to write this - I don´t think that the author has been healed/partly healed (as presented). I know that the healing is the way, not the destination. I will try to explain - there is a lot of emotion going around. I, as fellow "emotionalist" - see the emotions, and the truth that is connected to them, but I am also beware of power of emotions, and they are not always a reality. There is something, let´s say "unfinished", maybe "unhealed", maybe just getting at the another circle of pain/solution.
So I would recommend to go the way with this book, cry and suffer with it, it is a worthy guide. But take more guides on the way, not just this one.
This book has touched me enormously. As everybody who has been faced (or who has been fighting) with the question of : God, why had/have you let THIS happen/happening to me? - I got and I am overwhelmed by the depth of anger, suffering and questioning Mr Bays is showing here. Don´t get me wrong - I think that all the people (the more sensitive maybe more/inmore depth, maybe!) feel this. But Mr Bays is very honest to SHOW you his pain, anger and doubt to the core.
And he is also astonishingly honest to speak about the very taboo subject (and more, he was a pastor when writing the book) - sexual abuse. And the worst of the words: incest.
Ah. Just for this honesty: kudos.
The honesty is healing.
And some of the thoughts are healing, too. Like that that God is not just simply with us in the moment of our pain, but that He is violated with us. This is not the new thought for me, but in this context it got a whole new dimension.
So why just 3 stars?
Honestly, am I am pained to write this - I don´t think that the author has been healed/partly healed (as presented). I know that the healing is the way, not the destination. I will try to explain - there is a lot of emotion going around. I, as fellow "emotionalist" - see the emotions, and the truth that is connected to them, but I am also beware of power of emotions, and they are not always a reality. There is something, let´s say "unfinished", maybe "unhealed", maybe just getting at the another circle of pain/solution.
So I would recommend to go the way with this book, cry and suffer with it, it is a worthy guide. But take more guides on the way, not just this one.
May 11, 2016
This is an honest, raw, and compelling faith memoir that reflects on the problem of pain. Matt is not afraid to "go there," wrestling with the age-old question "God, where are you when bad things happen?" Sharing stories from his own wounded past, he demonstrates how he wrestled with God and even walked away from faith for a season as a result of his pain and unanswered prayers. He confronts head-on the shiny definition of "redemption" that gets sprinkled on hardships discussed in Christian circles, the one that tells those in pain to hush and promises that those who pray hard enough will receive the answers they want. Redemption is real, but it doesn't look like we expect. It's a journey that begins with telling the truth about the darkness and asking the hard questions.
This honest seeker uses refreshing language to express his journey and welcomes others to come out of the shadows. I found his writing to be clear, vivid and free of cliches. The good news that Matt discovered is that God is big enough to handle every one of our doubts, is endlessly patient with our questions, and isn't afraid of our disappointment and rage. God's love for him - and for us - is deeper, more complete and more unshakable than we could ever hope or imagine.
Here's my favorite quote from the book (p.133): "Sometimes it feels as if God has invited himself into my pain, when I had hoped to be invited into his healing. We want a God who heals our wounds, but it seems we have a God who heals our hearts."
I would recommend this book to anyone unsatisfied with easy answers who wants to know God.
This honest seeker uses refreshing language to express his journey and welcomes others to come out of the shadows. I found his writing to be clear, vivid and free of cliches. The good news that Matt discovered is that God is big enough to handle every one of our doubts, is endlessly patient with our questions, and isn't afraid of our disappointment and rage. God's love for him - and for us - is deeper, more complete and more unshakable than we could ever hope or imagine.
Here's my favorite quote from the book (p.133): "Sometimes it feels as if God has invited himself into my pain, when I had hoped to be invited into his healing. We want a God who heals our wounds, but it seems we have a God who heals our hearts."
I would recommend this book to anyone unsatisfied with easy answers who wants to know God.
February 19, 2019
Brilliant writing, the whole truth, honest seeking and wise guidance. I just finished the first reading and will be using the book in a group setting soon. Looking forward to the next book and more posts @ http://mattbayswriter.com
January 30, 2021
While there are several assertions I'm not on board with, there are some gems in this book. The antidote to the 'Romans 8:28 is all you need' school of thought.
July 21, 2017
First, I am acquainted with the author since we've served together on worship. I was curious to read Matt's book and to learn of his story, because all I knew was he had some past trauma that was the basis for his book. He has a great writing style that is easy to read and engaging, even when he is talking of such deep issues as the pain in our lives and how to deal with it. Let's face it, we all have "junk in our trunk", and Matt's willingness to share his journey of sorting through his junk is powerful. It will challenge you to deal with yours and give you encouragement to do so along the way. And as one who has sorted through my pain and junk, I can attest to the freedom and relief that comes when we are willing to face our own demons. Matt has done just that. And the author is as genuine (and funny) in person as he is in his writing. Great book. I look forward to reading more by him.
March 31, 2018
this is a book I have been waiting my whole Christian life for. it's not cliche and it's hut wrenching and painful and honest. this is a MUST read for those in the crossways of thier faith and even those who struggle to understand what pain and trauma does to a person who has faith or not. it's an eye open for both the struggling and those whose lives will never understand the pain of others. this is a love letter for the wounds of my soul and for a God I want to understand more and come to love more by the end of reading this. buckle up babe. it's a kick in your face truth filled ride. hopefully it will change minds and lives. it has changed mine.
August 14, 2017
This is a fantastic book for those suffering from chronic pain and wondering why God allows them to suffer.
March 21, 2016
What does God's redemption look like? God's kingdom comes in fullness and all that is wrong is set right. But what about in the meantime? How is the gospel hope for broken? The oppressed? The abused? Matt Bays observes that many modern Christians have this working definition of redemption:
But the reality is that the faithful suffer: miscarriages, mental illness, bankruptcy, loss of jobs, doubt, grief, etc. Sometimes God doesn't seem to come through and even the redeemed carry the scars of the past. In Finding God in the Ruins Bays opens up his own hard journey and shares this experience of hope and redemption. God didn't remove the brokenness and the pain but stepped into it with him.
The impetus behind the book came when Becky, a cat-loving-coworker succumbed to a deep depression and committed suicide, taking too many pills and leaving a note. Bays wrote in his journal I hope they saved the pen she used—that the leftover ink inside will be used to write words of love and hope (32). At her funeral, Becky's husband John gave Bays the pen and told him to 'write beautiful hope-filled words' (34). In the pages which follow, Bays weaves his own painful journey with the tales of other broken doubters and beat-down saints.
At the age of twenty-eight, Bays was several years a pastor, but the pain of his childhood caught up with him. He had been abused by the Step-Dad from Hell. Beyond the physical and emotional turmoil he experienced, he also experienced the confusion of incest. He turned to alcohol. When it didn't anesthetize the pain, he found a counselor and began to work through his issues. Bays also shares of his doubt and struggle watching his sister Trina fight stage-four breast cancer.
Bays story is hopeful. He experiences real healing in his life and he points to the unlikely places God met him through broken people (i.e affirmations from a pedophile band teacher). But this is a raw account of what it means to have faith in the midst of some pretty blankety-blanked-up-stuff. Bays rages against God, talks about the ways that Jesus felt distant from him— i.e "When God was thirteen, he never faced any kind of trial" (63). Ultimately Bays experiences the grace of God through family, through learning to face his pain and share vulnerably, learning to tell his story and seeing how much God-in-Christ truly experiences and enters into the pain and struggle we face:
This is not Hallmark-Channel-Jesus. Jesus doesn't ride into an unbeliever's life with a saccharine sweet ending, tying off all loose ends and making it all work out. The kind of redemption that Bays points to is more personal. Jesus steps our heartaches and experiences all the horrors we do. He brings us to redemption by going through the pain with us.
This is a great book, but emotionally heavy. At a different stage, I wouldn't have been ready for it. Bays lie story allows him to speak empathetically to those of us who likewise struggle. I appreciate the radical honesty he advocates. Bays helps us face ourselves (all of us), face our pain, and be honest to God about our struggles. This doesn't give our doubt the final word, but allows for real faith to grow. I give this book five stars. ★★★★★
Note: I received this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review.
Redemption n.—A state of existence in which the faithful to God receive what they expect to receive out of life (and out of God), and what ails them is converted to something fresh and new. (Getting the desires of one's heart.) (26).
But the reality is that the faithful suffer: miscarriages, mental illness, bankruptcy, loss of jobs, doubt, grief, etc. Sometimes God doesn't seem to come through and even the redeemed carry the scars of the past. In Finding God in the Ruins Bays opens up his own hard journey and shares this experience of hope and redemption. God didn't remove the brokenness and the pain but stepped into it with him.
The impetus behind the book came when Becky, a cat-loving-coworker succumbed to a deep depression and committed suicide, taking too many pills and leaving a note. Bays wrote in his journal I hope they saved the pen she used—that the leftover ink inside will be used to write words of love and hope (32). At her funeral, Becky's husband John gave Bays the pen and told him to 'write beautiful hope-filled words' (34). In the pages which follow, Bays weaves his own painful journey with the tales of other broken doubters and beat-down saints.
At the age of twenty-eight, Bays was several years a pastor, but the pain of his childhood caught up with him. He had been abused by the Step-Dad from Hell. Beyond the physical and emotional turmoil he experienced, he also experienced the confusion of incest. He turned to alcohol. When it didn't anesthetize the pain, he found a counselor and began to work through his issues. Bays also shares of his doubt and struggle watching his sister Trina fight stage-four breast cancer.
Bays story is hopeful. He experiences real healing in his life and he points to the unlikely places God met him through broken people (i.e affirmations from a pedophile band teacher). But this is a raw account of what it means to have faith in the midst of some pretty blankety-blanked-up-stuff. Bays rages against God, talks about the ways that Jesus felt distant from him— i.e "When God was thirteen, he never faced any kind of trial" (63). Ultimately Bays experiences the grace of God through family, through learning to face his pain and share vulnerably, learning to tell his story and seeing how much God-in-Christ truly experiences and enters into the pain and struggle we face:
God wasn't staring on in the brothels of Mumbai; he was stuck on the dirty floor with a pedophile on top of him. And he wasn't leaning against the laundry machine in my basement; he was being pierced, crushed, bruised and wounded so eventually I could be healed. It happened to him every time it happened to me. It was him, the same as it was me. (197).
This is not Hallmark-Channel-Jesus. Jesus doesn't ride into an unbeliever's life with a saccharine sweet ending, tying off all loose ends and making it all work out. The kind of redemption that Bays points to is more personal. Jesus steps our heartaches and experiences all the horrors we do. He brings us to redemption by going through the pain with us.
This is a great book, but emotionally heavy. At a different stage, I wouldn't have been ready for it. Bays lie story allows him to speak empathetically to those of us who likewise struggle. I appreciate the radical honesty he advocates. Bays helps us face ourselves (all of us), face our pain, and be honest to God about our struggles. This doesn't give our doubt the final word, but allows for real faith to grow. I give this book five stars. ★★★★★
Note: I received this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review.
Read
March 12, 2017Amazing. Gritty, but real.
March 25, 2016
This is a book that takes a very, very honest look at pain and redemption and asks: What does redemption look like? Can everything be redeemed? There are so many horrors in the world, and whether they are atrocities on the other side of the world or the private horrors that lurk within our own homes, where is God?
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who wasn't ready for the honesty. A lot of people aren't. But if you know what it's like to look at life's ruins and wonder what it's all about, this could be a book that would help you. I found a lot of good things here, but I also disagreed with a good portion of the theology, so I can't really give it a full endorsement anyway. Use your own discernment about this and all reading choices.
It is so hard to wait for redemption for life's circumstances. "Sometimes it feels as if God has invited Himself into my pain, when I had hoped to be invited in His healing," Matt Bays says on page 133. I'm so glad we can know God is with us in the pain, but it certainly is a journey to keep believing in the hard moments. We'd like our lives to be beautiful and free of hard things, like glitter-coated rainbows that children might draw. I thought this was an interesting quote from Chapter 5: "I think God has grown weary of our drawings of rainbows... "Let's put these away for now," I can imagine God saying as He takes our brightly colored crayons and places them high on a shelf where we can no longer get at them. "This picture of your life isn't really accurate anyway, is it?" He asks, dumping our bowl of glitter into the trash. "I'd really love to see what you can do with these." He is holding out some of the drabbest crayons we've ever seen, a fist filled with the colors of alone."
Often we don't get to choose the circumstances which cause our pain. Abuse doesn't ask permission, tragedy comes uninvited, and the world is harsh. The ruins of our lives could very well be not of our own making, and balancing that with the belief that God allows these terrible things is more than some can take. This author almost decided to throw God out, but his quest for the redemption of his pain kept leading him back to God. "Each of us has a calling that comes from the core ache within us - a calling to write with our lives the beautiful stories of God's redemption," he shares in Chapter 17. Just like we don't get to choose our pain, we also don't get to choose our redemption. Our redemption may come not by a miraculous resolution of our problems - although God is capable and may provide that. It may come by allowing our pain and the fact that we survived it by His grace to be a beacon to others, a lighthouse of glory showing that even in the ruins His love is there.
My favorite chapter was the one called "Someone Else's Story," because it talks about how telling our stories honestly can bring healing. I really cheered through that chapter. Unfortunately I could not cheer throughout the whole book, but I will be taking the highlights with me on my own healing journey.
I received my copy of the book in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who wasn't ready for the honesty. A lot of people aren't. But if you know what it's like to look at life's ruins and wonder what it's all about, this could be a book that would help you. I found a lot of good things here, but I also disagreed with a good portion of the theology, so I can't really give it a full endorsement anyway. Use your own discernment about this and all reading choices.
It is so hard to wait for redemption for life's circumstances. "Sometimes it feels as if God has invited Himself into my pain, when I had hoped to be invited in His healing," Matt Bays says on page 133. I'm so glad we can know God is with us in the pain, but it certainly is a journey to keep believing in the hard moments. We'd like our lives to be beautiful and free of hard things, like glitter-coated rainbows that children might draw. I thought this was an interesting quote from Chapter 5: "I think God has grown weary of our drawings of rainbows... "Let's put these away for now," I can imagine God saying as He takes our brightly colored crayons and places them high on a shelf where we can no longer get at them. "This picture of your life isn't really accurate anyway, is it?" He asks, dumping our bowl of glitter into the trash. "I'd really love to see what you can do with these." He is holding out some of the drabbest crayons we've ever seen, a fist filled with the colors of alone."
Often we don't get to choose the circumstances which cause our pain. Abuse doesn't ask permission, tragedy comes uninvited, and the world is harsh. The ruins of our lives could very well be not of our own making, and balancing that with the belief that God allows these terrible things is more than some can take. This author almost decided to throw God out, but his quest for the redemption of his pain kept leading him back to God. "Each of us has a calling that comes from the core ache within us - a calling to write with our lives the beautiful stories of God's redemption," he shares in Chapter 17. Just like we don't get to choose our pain, we also don't get to choose our redemption. Our redemption may come not by a miraculous resolution of our problems - although God is capable and may provide that. It may come by allowing our pain and the fact that we survived it by His grace to be a beacon to others, a lighthouse of glory showing that even in the ruins His love is there.
My favorite chapter was the one called "Someone Else's Story," because it talks about how telling our stories honestly can bring healing. I really cheered through that chapter. Unfortunately I could not cheer throughout the whole book, but I will be taking the highlights with me on my own healing journey.
I received my copy of the book in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
March 21, 2016
Matt Bays grew up in a hell that he didn’t fully understand. His stepfather was abusive and his older brother learned to replicate that abuse. Matt grew up, got married, and went into ministry, and tried to push away those memories and keep them buried in his past. When he finally realized he couldn’t live like that anymore, and started seeing a counselor to try to articulate his pain, he began to uncover truths not only about his own life but about how broken the church can be in providing support for those who are speaking up about their struggles and their doubts.
"For years I had longed for the church to be a safe place where I could reexamine my faith with fear and trembling and anger. I needed it to be a place where I could ask the tough questions — where I could expose God’s short sale on my life, on Robert’s life, on Keegan’s life, on yours. But the church wasn’t the place I’d hoped it would be.
"I’m guessing my church would have given me six months to work things out rather than the six years it would take…"
Matt writes honestly about getting angry with God, walking away from God, even giving God the middle finger. As he faces the memories and pain of his childhood, and the present pain of his sister’s cancer, he rages at God for not providing healing. But it is through that rage, through that honest baring his heart, that he discovers God’s presence with him in the wreckage. As the title of the book suggests, Matt finds that God doesn’t remake his life into something different. Instead, God sits with him in the ruins. Just like Frederick Buechner wrote about Job, “God is not an answer man can give, God says. God himself does not give answers. He gives himself, and into the midst of the whirlwind of his absence gives himself.”
But Matt does not stop with his own story and his own encounter with God’s absence and presence. Matt wants to free us, too, to tell our stories, to be unafraid and to trust that their is enough grace for us, whether it takes us six months to work things out or six years, or more. “Healing has no map;” Matt says:
"every person’s experience is different. But if your journey is going to be successful, expect at some point to end up back at the scene of the crime, staring at the wreckage. People will tell you to move on, and they are partly right. But if you have tried and can’t seem to, you must go back and see what happened with new eyes. And then you must try to tell your story without trying to make it palatable — for anyone. You have to tell the truth — the whole truth — expecting the painful passages to come when you do. If it gets to be too much, take a break. Dog-ear the page and return to it when you’re good and ready, but plan to finish the book because there’s a beautiful ending to it."
Matt writes with the eloquence of a poet, and with the heart of a pastor. He offers us his story, and whether we relate to the specific details or not, Finding God in the Ruins makes us feel less alone.
"For years I had longed for the church to be a safe place where I could reexamine my faith with fear and trembling and anger. I needed it to be a place where I could ask the tough questions — where I could expose God’s short sale on my life, on Robert’s life, on Keegan’s life, on yours. But the church wasn’t the place I’d hoped it would be.
"I’m guessing my church would have given me six months to work things out rather than the six years it would take…"
Matt writes honestly about getting angry with God, walking away from God, even giving God the middle finger. As he faces the memories and pain of his childhood, and the present pain of his sister’s cancer, he rages at God for not providing healing. But it is through that rage, through that honest baring his heart, that he discovers God’s presence with him in the wreckage. As the title of the book suggests, Matt finds that God doesn’t remake his life into something different. Instead, God sits with him in the ruins. Just like Frederick Buechner wrote about Job, “God is not an answer man can give, God says. God himself does not give answers. He gives himself, and into the midst of the whirlwind of his absence gives himself.”
But Matt does not stop with his own story and his own encounter with God’s absence and presence. Matt wants to free us, too, to tell our stories, to be unafraid and to trust that their is enough grace for us, whether it takes us six months to work things out or six years, or more. “Healing has no map;” Matt says:
"every person’s experience is different. But if your journey is going to be successful, expect at some point to end up back at the scene of the crime, staring at the wreckage. People will tell you to move on, and they are partly right. But if you have tried and can’t seem to, you must go back and see what happened with new eyes. And then you must try to tell your story without trying to make it palatable — for anyone. You have to tell the truth — the whole truth — expecting the painful passages to come when you do. If it gets to be too much, take a break. Dog-ear the page and return to it when you’re good and ready, but plan to finish the book because there’s a beautiful ending to it."
Matt writes with the eloquence of a poet, and with the heart of a pastor. He offers us his story, and whether we relate to the specific details or not, Finding God in the Ruins makes us feel less alone.
March 17, 2016
I really have mixed feelings about this book. There are aspects of it I really like but others that make me hesitant to recommend it.
On the positive side, I really appreciate Bays' honesty. He had a horrible childhood of incest and dysfunctional sexuality. He is very open about his experiences and his feelings about those experiences then and now. He is honest about his questions, asking why God allowed such suffering then and why He allows so much suffering in the world now. He says our faith can be strengthened when we ask questions of God. We ultimately realize God has been with us in our brokenness.
I appreciate his comments about God and suffering. Are we willing to allow God to deepen us, to use our suffering? He suggests we cannot experience the fullness of God otherwise. I appreciate his comments about how the God we experience seems nothing like the God we are taught about in church. He doesn't seem to keep His promises. Bays writes that God has not “worked all things out for the good,” at least not the way he would have done it. We lose faith when God doesn't behave the way we've been taught. If we allow ourselves to doubt, we will ultimately find that God is there in the ruins.
I appreciate the honest and raw way Bays explores his story and his doubt. But there are parts of his story that bother me. He was in pastoral work, leading worship, during many of the years of his doubt. He says he would lead songs for the congregation yet not believe what he was singing. He performed a wedding for his cancer ridden sister and her live-in boyfriend when the divorce from her previous husband had not been finalized. Bays says he felt they were already married in God's eyes so performed the ceremony.
Bays quotes Psalm 44, saying David calls God a liar and a cheat. There was no reference in my galley so I did some research and found the reference of Psalm 44:11-12. I cannot find any translation that is even close to what Bays says it says. Not The Message, not the NLT.
So I must recommend caution when reading this book. I really like Bays' raw honesty. We need more of that as we tell our stories. I like his confronting God head on about allowing such suffering. But I don't like the idea of being in ministry while not believing the words spoken nor do I like performing a wedding that would not be legal under the law.
I suggest reading this book in community, within a small group of trusted friends, as there is a good discussion guide at the end of the book. Reading this book begs for sharing experiences and discussing God's part in them. Bays says doubt is part of the journey to bring our faith from adolescence to adulthood. It is good to have others along on that journey with you.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
On the positive side, I really appreciate Bays' honesty. He had a horrible childhood of incest and dysfunctional sexuality. He is very open about his experiences and his feelings about those experiences then and now. He is honest about his questions, asking why God allowed such suffering then and why He allows so much suffering in the world now. He says our faith can be strengthened when we ask questions of God. We ultimately realize God has been with us in our brokenness.
I appreciate his comments about God and suffering. Are we willing to allow God to deepen us, to use our suffering? He suggests we cannot experience the fullness of God otherwise. I appreciate his comments about how the God we experience seems nothing like the God we are taught about in church. He doesn't seem to keep His promises. Bays writes that God has not “worked all things out for the good,” at least not the way he would have done it. We lose faith when God doesn't behave the way we've been taught. If we allow ourselves to doubt, we will ultimately find that God is there in the ruins.
I appreciate the honest and raw way Bays explores his story and his doubt. But there are parts of his story that bother me. He was in pastoral work, leading worship, during many of the years of his doubt. He says he would lead songs for the congregation yet not believe what he was singing. He performed a wedding for his cancer ridden sister and her live-in boyfriend when the divorce from her previous husband had not been finalized. Bays says he felt they were already married in God's eyes so performed the ceremony.
Bays quotes Psalm 44, saying David calls God a liar and a cheat. There was no reference in my galley so I did some research and found the reference of Psalm 44:11-12. I cannot find any translation that is even close to what Bays says it says. Not The Message, not the NLT.
So I must recommend caution when reading this book. I really like Bays' raw honesty. We need more of that as we tell our stories. I like his confronting God head on about allowing such suffering. But I don't like the idea of being in ministry while not believing the words spoken nor do I like performing a wedding that would not be legal under the law.
I suggest reading this book in community, within a small group of trusted friends, as there is a good discussion guide at the end of the book. Reading this book begs for sharing experiences and discussing God's part in them. Bays says doubt is part of the journey to bring our faith from adolescence to adulthood. It is good to have others along on that journey with you.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
February 6, 2016
To live is often to feel pain. Some people have worse experiences than others, and when we look around at the horror of the world that surrounds us, many ask these questions: Where is God? Does He really care? If He truly loves us, then why are we in so much pain? These are the questions that Matt Bays addresses in his new book, Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain.
In this book, Bays draws upon his memories of abuse, the pains of sister’s cancer, and upon the experiences that he has had with other people in his life to tell a story about God. Bays says that at the outset, he didn’t know what this story was going to be, and he chronicles his pain and questions. He finds himself also, however, chronicling moments of grace and the images and realizations that he finds about God as a result of his own journey through dealing with his pain.
I don’t really want to give too much away about his memories and his experiences. I think it’s much better for the reader to uncover the memoirist’s life as he tells it. However, I will say that some of the details that he paints with his words are horrifying and gut-wrenching (but not too graphic for the sensitive reader). There’s cancer, incest, suicide, diseased people, and so much more on display in this memoir. Bays says he writes the memoir to tell the story of the “unredeemed.” The people who aren’t healed. The people who aren’t saved from pain. I think all of us will have stories in our lives or in the lives of people we know that we can relate to after reading this book.
I found Bays gentle musings and the mixing of narrative memories with reflections on God and his nature to be riveting. This is perhaps the most moving memoir I’ve read in five years. It is an emotional roller coaster though, and I will admit that I wept several times over the course of reading this book.
I guess the best way to describe how I feel about this book is to coin a phrase that Bays uses several times throughout the text. Me encanta. I love. I’m going to be recommending his honest and beautiful story to those I know who are suffering and struggling with these questions as a meet them along life’s path.
Disclaimer: I received advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In this book, Bays draws upon his memories of abuse, the pains of sister’s cancer, and upon the experiences that he has had with other people in his life to tell a story about God. Bays says that at the outset, he didn’t know what this story was going to be, and he chronicles his pain and questions. He finds himself also, however, chronicling moments of grace and the images and realizations that he finds about God as a result of his own journey through dealing with his pain.
I don’t really want to give too much away about his memories and his experiences. I think it’s much better for the reader to uncover the memoirist’s life as he tells it. However, I will say that some of the details that he paints with his words are horrifying and gut-wrenching (but not too graphic for the sensitive reader). There’s cancer, incest, suicide, diseased people, and so much more on display in this memoir. Bays says he writes the memoir to tell the story of the “unredeemed.” The people who aren’t healed. The people who aren’t saved from pain. I think all of us will have stories in our lives or in the lives of people we know that we can relate to after reading this book.
I found Bays gentle musings and the mixing of narrative memories with reflections on God and his nature to be riveting. This is perhaps the most moving memoir I’ve read in five years. It is an emotional roller coaster though, and I will admit that I wept several times over the course of reading this book.
I guess the best way to describe how I feel about this book is to coin a phrase that Bays uses several times throughout the text. Me encanta. I love. I’m going to be recommending his honest and beautiful story to those I know who are suffering and struggling with these questions as a meet them along life’s path.
Disclaimer: I received advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2016
Matt Bays in his new book, “Finding God in the Ruins” published by David C Cook gives us How God Redeems Pain.
From the back cover: If God is LOVE, why do we hurt so much?
When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.
Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.
Have you ever hurt? Some of us have deep emotional trauma, some of us have deep physical pain and, then, some of us have both emotional and physical pain. And for some of us it never goes away. What if you lose a child? How about losing a spouse? What if the doctor says it is cancer and cannot cure it or perhaps you lose a leg? This kind of pain can be crippling so how do you handle it? Matt Bays has looked for answers and this book is his response. He does it in four parts. Part One: The Backstory, Part Two: Compathy, Part Three: Storytold, Part Four: Redemption 2.0. It seems our first reaction when this kind of pain occurs is to blame God. If we take the contents of this book to heart, thanks to Matt Bays, our new first reaction will be to run to God. When we are in disaster and at the bottom and all we see are ruins we will have new eyes to find and see God. And then we will rejoice with Him and let Him heal us. I recommend this book highly.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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.”
From the back cover: If God is LOVE, why do we hurt so much?
When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.
Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.
Have you ever hurt? Some of us have deep emotional trauma, some of us have deep physical pain and, then, some of us have both emotional and physical pain. And for some of us it never goes away. What if you lose a child? How about losing a spouse? What if the doctor says it is cancer and cannot cure it or perhaps you lose a leg? This kind of pain can be crippling so how do you handle it? Matt Bays has looked for answers and this book is his response. He does it in four parts. Part One: The Backstory, Part Two: Compathy, Part Three: Storytold, Part Four: Redemption 2.0. It seems our first reaction when this kind of pain occurs is to blame God. If we take the contents of this book to heart, thanks to Matt Bays, our new first reaction will be to run to God. When we are in disaster and at the bottom and all we see are ruins we will have new eyes to find and see God. And then we will rejoice with Him and let Him heal us. I recommend this book highly.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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.”
January 25, 2016
About the Book:
When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.
Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.
My Review:
Matt Bays, brings us a sense of hope and renewal. A place where when you need encouragement you can find it because he will show you where God showed up in people's lives and they accepted the hope He offered.
Too many times in this world of sin we will find things that have happened to people and be so angry with it that it tears at our souls. We question God through the tears and wonder how He could ever let this be. God in His infinite wisdom lets us be and lets us cry and shout and otherwise be angry. But I don't think He wants us to stay there for very long.
A lot of the situations that people have to go through or endure is part of the growing in Christ process. These things are something that is suppose to bridge the gap between the individual and the Father. What is so incredibly sad is, is that a lot of times many of these individuals fail to see it and because of this they can suffer disastrous effects as a result.
The author took a group of individuals and their stories of recovery in Christ and changed the paradox a bit in order for the rest of us to live in a freedom that maybe we only dream about.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.
Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.
My Review:
Matt Bays, brings us a sense of hope and renewal. A place where when you need encouragement you can find it because he will show you where God showed up in people's lives and they accepted the hope He offered.
Too many times in this world of sin we will find things that have happened to people and be so angry with it that it tears at our souls. We question God through the tears and wonder how He could ever let this be. God in His infinite wisdom lets us be and lets us cry and shout and otherwise be angry. But I don't think He wants us to stay there for very long.
A lot of the situations that people have to go through or endure is part of the growing in Christ process. These things are something that is suppose to bridge the gap between the individual and the Father. What is so incredibly sad is, is that a lot of times many of these individuals fail to see it and because of this they can suffer disastrous effects as a result.
The author took a group of individuals and their stories of recovery in Christ and changed the paradox a bit in order for the rest of us to live in a freedom that maybe we only dream about.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.
March 30, 2016
In "Finding God in the Ruins", Matt Bays does something profound; he takes "packaged" Christianity, kicks it off its axis, lets it roll, and once it lands declares, "THIS is how we need to view it." He leaves it messy. He leaves the pain. He leaves it raw. Rather than buff it all out by touting a few verses and saying we should now be whole and healed, he makes sure we know God is present within the pain. God isn't (or has never) turned away and avoided the moments that are the most dark. He is there. And Bays continues to drive this point home with examples from his life as well as the lives of others. A key point in seeing how God redeems pain is the need for us to all be authentic; sharing our pain, our trauma, and allowing others to see the road we walked to find our way to God is a very powerful testimony.
I did enjoy this book for all its truth and authenticity, but I am giving it 4 stars for a very specific reason--as much as God is discussed within the book, the name of Jesus Christ and having a personal relationship with him is absent. If someone is not a Christian and completely gravitates & connects to this book (which is extremely likely given the welcoming & accepting writing style), the person will have learned much about God and yet not so much about coming to the Father THROUGH Christ. I know many people who consider themselves Christians, believe in God, and even pray...and yet they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. And not seeing His name throughout the pages, nor a clear recognition of the Holy Spirit's role in the redemptive process bothers me a bit. Overall, this is a wonderful work, but I do feel those areas could have been more clearly established rather than implied.
*I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.*
I did enjoy this book for all its truth and authenticity, but I am giving it 4 stars for a very specific reason--as much as God is discussed within the book, the name of Jesus Christ and having a personal relationship with him is absent. If someone is not a Christian and completely gravitates & connects to this book (which is extremely likely given the welcoming & accepting writing style), the person will have learned much about God and yet not so much about coming to the Father THROUGH Christ. I know many people who consider themselves Christians, believe in God, and even pray...and yet they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. And not seeing His name throughout the pages, nor a clear recognition of the Holy Spirit's role in the redemptive process bothers me a bit. Overall, this is a wonderful work, but I do feel those areas could have been more clearly established rather than implied.
*I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.*
April 6, 2016
Jesus participated in their horrors by being present. Where is God? He is hanging there on the gallows. He's not just in the brothel with the girl being violated. He IS being violated.
It is in these tensions between good and evil that it is difficult to reconcile a good God when so many are victims of rape, murder, abuse, etc. etc. etc. Matt Bays has spent a life time reconciling a good God to the abuse he suffered as a child.
There is a real honesty about the pain, the anger and the clichés of Christaineese that lead him further from God. However, theology is important and Bays lacks theology. His story is compelling but his theology is not. The statement I opened this review is compelling to me because God is present in the ugly and/but he will bring justice. He is a God of justice. That was not applied at all in Bays testimony. We need a savior! That was not applied in Bays testimony as well. That does not change the circumstances but it changes our hearts.
Most people that read something like this do not read for theology but for experience. Yes, I experienced that too. How can I go on? How can I love God in spite of it. This is Bays attempt to do that. Does he paint a picture of salvation? Does he paint of picture of redemption? Only if he leads his readers for their need of God's mercy and grace.
A Special Thank you to David C Cook and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
It is in these tensions between good and evil that it is difficult to reconcile a good God when so many are victims of rape, murder, abuse, etc. etc. etc. Matt Bays has spent a life time reconciling a good God to the abuse he suffered as a child.
There is a real honesty about the pain, the anger and the clichés of Christaineese that lead him further from God. However, theology is important and Bays lacks theology. His story is compelling but his theology is not. The statement I opened this review is compelling to me because God is present in the ugly and/but he will bring justice. He is a God of justice. That was not applied at all in Bays testimony. We need a savior! That was not applied in Bays testimony as well. That does not change the circumstances but it changes our hearts.
Most people that read something like this do not read for theology but for experience. Yes, I experienced that too. How can I go on? How can I love God in spite of it. This is Bays attempt to do that. Does he paint a picture of salvation? Does he paint of picture of redemption? Only if he leads his readers for their need of God's mercy and grace.
A Special Thank you to David C Cook and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
March 17, 2016
Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain by Matt Bays was simultaneously distressing and refreshing in many ways. Most of us have been there - going through an exceptionally difficult, spirit scarring experience when we wonder "Where are you, God? Why did you let this happen to me, your loved child?" What do you do in those dark times when you feel forgotten by the everlasting Lord and question what you've been taught?
This book is not an easy read. Matt Bays makes you rip the scab off what is giving you continuing pain in your life, examine the true history of it until you acknowledge ALL parts of it. It is then he affirms that you recognize your true story and realize that God was there with you all along. Once you are finally at peace with what has/is happening to you and why, Bays says that is when God uses your story to help others understand their own, or to inspire others. You are not guaranteed not to suffer just because you are a person of faith, but your suffering can ultimately benefit you and others.
Bays states that God is a God of power and might, one not afraid to be yelled at, ignored by or questioned by his creations. But if you are willing and hold fast, He will bring you to a point of understanding and renewed faith. Bays shares his own story as well as others as examples of this.
There were times when what Bays said made me angry and I don't agree with all that he puts forth, but it is an interesting read, one that made me think about a lot of things, and that has value.
Thanks to NetGalley and David C. Cook publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is not an easy read. Matt Bays makes you rip the scab off what is giving you continuing pain in your life, examine the true history of it until you acknowledge ALL parts of it. It is then he affirms that you recognize your true story and realize that God was there with you all along. Once you are finally at peace with what has/is happening to you and why, Bays says that is when God uses your story to help others understand their own, or to inspire others. You are not guaranteed not to suffer just because you are a person of faith, but your suffering can ultimately benefit you and others.
Bays states that God is a God of power and might, one not afraid to be yelled at, ignored by or questioned by his creations. But if you are willing and hold fast, He will bring you to a point of understanding and renewed faith. Bays shares his own story as well as others as examples of this.
There were times when what Bays said made me angry and I don't agree with all that he puts forth, but it is an interesting read, one that made me think about a lot of things, and that has value.
Thanks to NetGalley and David C. Cook publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2016
This book completely took me by surprise and affected me much more than I was expecting. It's no secret that my life has resulted in much pain and bitterness as well as lots of baggage. Much of that pain resulted in my turning my back on my faith of my childhood and only in recent years turning back to God. This is exactly what this book discusses, how we blame God for our pain and turn our back on our faith as a result.
Matt Bays has experienced the very same feelings that I did and asked the same questions that I asked so long ago - Where was God when I was hurt, WHY did he allow it to happen to me, Why did he not protect me when I was only a child. He experienced so many hardships, one after another that left him just as broken as I felt from my own abuse. I felt betrayed by God and it was so amazing to know that many of the feelings I felt were not unfounded or unusual. And like myself, he went though his own journey of dealing with that pain and betrayal only to come out on the other side with the understanding that God never betrayed us but was with us though it all. Even when we turn our back on him as a result, he is left waiting for us to return to him with open arms, willing to take that pain from us and to replace it with his love.
I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who has felt similar feelings in regards to their faith.
*I was given a copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for a positive review*
Matt Bays has experienced the very same feelings that I did and asked the same questions that I asked so long ago - Where was God when I was hurt, WHY did he allow it to happen to me, Why did he not protect me when I was only a child. He experienced so many hardships, one after another that left him just as broken as I felt from my own abuse. I felt betrayed by God and it was so amazing to know that many of the feelings I felt were not unfounded or unusual. And like myself, he went though his own journey of dealing with that pain and betrayal only to come out on the other side with the understanding that God never betrayed us but was with us though it all. Even when we turn our back on him as a result, he is left waiting for us to return to him with open arms, willing to take that pain from us and to replace it with his love.
I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who has felt similar feelings in regards to their faith.
*I was given a copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for a positive review*
February 27, 2016
Finding God in the Ruins was not at all what I was expecting. I guess I expected it to be like other books I have read about finding God in hard times, but this book was quite a bit different.
At times, I was so very thankful it was different. Bays didn't offer any of the common "Christian cliches" to suffering. Instead of giving pat answers, he discussed the problem of pain with authenticity and opened the door to allow people to question God, sometimes even yell at him, because of circumstances in their lives.
Bays definitely "pushed the envelope," if you will, as far as faith is concerned. There were many things he said in the book that I'm sure people feel were incorrect, maybe even blasphemous.
But the truth is, Bays has been through some horrific situations that no one should ever go through. And I think others who have gone through really hard things will appreciate his authenticity.
If you're looking for an easy read, this isn't the book for you. But if you're wanting to really think about suffering and figure out how God can redeem unredeemable situations, this is a very good book to read. It is guaranteed to make you think. And for me at least, it drew me closer to God.
*I received this book for free for review, but all opinions are my own.
At times, I was so very thankful it was different. Bays didn't offer any of the common "Christian cliches" to suffering. Instead of giving pat answers, he discussed the problem of pain with authenticity and opened the door to allow people to question God, sometimes even yell at him, because of circumstances in their lives.
Bays definitely "pushed the envelope," if you will, as far as faith is concerned. There were many things he said in the book that I'm sure people feel were incorrect, maybe even blasphemous.
But the truth is, Bays has been through some horrific situations that no one should ever go through. And I think others who have gone through really hard things will appreciate his authenticity.
If you're looking for an easy read, this isn't the book for you. But if you're wanting to really think about suffering and figure out how God can redeem unredeemable situations, this is a very good book to read. It is guaranteed to make you think. And for me at least, it drew me closer to God.
*I received this book for free for review, but all opinions are my own.
April 6, 2016
This book is a raw, honest, intelligent look at suffering, linking his own story of child abuse with other stories of suffering, and searching for God in the dark places. It had a ‘Philip Yancey’ feel about it, because of his clear writing and skilful storytelling, though a little more personal and ‘messy’. What I loved about this book was his honesty – which is to say that he doesn’t ‘let God off the hook’ in his questioning. So many books on suffering travel too quickly from the questions to the answers, but this book gives weight and value to the questions, and the state of feeling at sea. However, it doesn’t leave you at sea. Matt Bays digs deep into the depths, but takes you on a journey back out. One thing I really appreciated about this book was that I didn’t feel by the end of it that I had to follow a set path or solution in order to have my questions resolved – he leaves space for you to find your own way back. I found this book to be full of hope and light, and highly recommend this to anyone wrestling through their own questions about suffering. If you are screaming to God about the injustice of your own or others’ suffering, Matt Bays is the perfect companion for the journey.
Read
March 14, 2016 "Finding God in the Ruins" is a memoir of author Matt Bays life. I believe the topic could be summed up as "when life hurts, then what?" I admit I did not find a happy medium in this book and only give it 2*. I really didn't feel like finishing this book and would not recommend it. Matt Bays shares insight, through his own story of pain, doubt and finally hope. I liked how Matt talked about his own struggles, admitting when we are at our lowest hell seems more real than heaven. I wish he would have spoken more on the love and comfort of God. He poses the question, "Where is God when life seems to be all wrong?" Wayward children, neglect and abuse by loved ones, mental illness and the list could go on and on.
Author Matt Bays says redemption is not an escape but a journey. We need God, and we also need to work on ourselves which may mean going to recovery groups.
This is a hard book to read with the horrid things that happened to Matt, and wondering where was God in all this. However, Matt does end up saying he was ready to let Jesus into all of his life.
Disclaimer: I received the ARC of the book from LitFuse Publicity for my honest opinion.
Author Matt Bays says redemption is not an escape but a journey. We need God, and we also need to work on ourselves which may mean going to recovery groups.
This is a hard book to read with the horrid things that happened to Matt, and wondering where was God in all this. However, Matt does end up saying he was ready to let Jesus into all of his life.
Disclaimer: I received the ARC of the book from LitFuse Publicity for my honest opinion.
March 28, 2016
Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain
In Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain. Author Matt Bays does an excellent job at writing in a manner that is accessible for the reader while being brutally honest, open and transparent about his own life’s pain, struggles, doubts and questions. This is definitely a book I will find myself recommending to others over and over again.
I couldn’t help but find large pieces of my story woven into Bays’ story and at the cross-section of them to see God’s story as well as the backdrop of them both. I found myself saying over and over again “me too”, “you are not alone”. I am convinced that everyone has hurts, habits and hangups. Not necessarily to the same extent or degree, but all our stories intersect especially in pain and suffering; and if we look deep enough into the ruins we find it is also part of God’s story as well and that we are part of His story too.
In Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain. Author Matt Bays does an excellent job at writing in a manner that is accessible for the reader while being brutally honest, open and transparent about his own life’s pain, struggles, doubts and questions. This is definitely a book I will find myself recommending to others over and over again.
I couldn’t help but find large pieces of my story woven into Bays’ story and at the cross-section of them to see God’s story as well as the backdrop of them both. I found myself saying over and over again “me too”, “you are not alone”. I am convinced that everyone has hurts, habits and hangups. Not necessarily to the same extent or degree, but all our stories intersect especially in pain and suffering; and if we look deep enough into the ruins we find it is also part of God’s story as well and that we are part of His story too.
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