Finding Hope and Meaning - and Pleasure in this Simple Read

It was a relief (and a pleasure) to read Trystan Owain Hughes’ new book “Finding Hope and Meaning in Suffering”. I once sat through a dreadful sermon where a vicar tried to explain suffering - despite an omnipotent God - being down to 'bad luck.' The sermon was neither theologically nor personally satisfying (particularly as my Mother had been diagnosed with a rapid version of Motor Neurone Disease). This book dispelled that sermon, instead providing a simple, straight-forward way of understanding and coping with the less pleasant things life throws at us. Though classified in 'Christianity & Spirituality' by Amazon, I believe its intellectual basis and appeal is far wider than those fields.


The core narrative reminds me of an arguement made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, in an interview with John Humphries, that suffering makes sense not in human time but in God's time. In other words, during tough times, God does not abandon his people and his wisdom WILL become clear, just maybe not when we would like it to. This book takes this argument and moves it on by providing ways of coping during suffering and, consequently, shows how God may be identified in the world around us. Taking themes such as nature, art and laughter, Hughes provides us with guidance which is not only biblically based but also draws on popular films and cultural references to explain how the suffering we see might make sense.

I met Trystan at a meeting of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales and his writing in this reflects his personality: good-humoured. easy-to-talk-to and down-to-earth. During a time when my family has been touched by an unrelenting and unkind disease, his book has personally shown me by its inception and through its advice, 'that God meets us in our afflications, bringing hope and meaning at the most unlikely times.'

(Also published on the Amazon website)