Our frustration of frequency, our exasperation of exhaustion, our wrath against repetition is experienced when we are sick of having to repeat something. We’ve said something before, and now the nuisance of stating the same thing again has driven us slightly (maybe more than slightly) bonkers. Maybe it was somewhere between the 70th and 470th time the question was asked, it’s hard to tell exactly, but somewhere, at some time, we snapped and decided “this is the last time I’m going to say this” and issued the warning “don’t make me say it again”. 

In The Rain That Never Stops: And the Problem of Depression author M.R. Scott takes the reader through a personal account of grieving to discuss the nature, and purposes, of depression and suffering in life. Through a theological exploration of his own suffering due to the loss of a dear friend and mentor, Scott gives a biblical foundation for understanding suffering.

M.J. Anderson’s book “Christ Follower: The Art of Dying to Self” has stirred my spirit. The reader may be attracted to this book from its cover and title. While plenty of books point the reader to their own immediate temporal and temporary glory, Anderson firmly puts before his audience a counter-narrative. “The main aim in writing this book is to present the Church with a Biblical understanding of what it means to be a Christian or Christ follower. You see, this is not a self help book; rather, I pray that God uses this book to strengthen our reliance on Him and to reject any help that self may want to offer” (page 11).