Drawing on his own experiences with losses and tragedies through the death of his young wife and, more recently, the death of his sixteen-year-old son, John Mark hicks tells the story of God through his own experiences of suffering.

He does not explain suffering because, as he describes, that cannot be done; rather, he walks with sufferers through the valley of loss. He grounds them deeply in the story of God's love, listening, empathy, sovereignty, and victory. This path is not only for those who seek to persevere in the midst of their suffering but also for those who want to prepare for the suffering that comes to all.

In addition to helping sufferers, John Mark provides guidance for those who want to sit with people who are suffering. He offers advice to help comforters provide comfort. There are no easy answers. Our questions, in fact, are never fully answered. Despite this, however, there is a path of assurance, comfort, and trust that yields perseverance, peace and hope.

The "anchors" are found in God, who

• loves us
• listens to us
• empathizes with us
• gives meaning to our suffering
• ultimately triumphs over all suffering

These anchors ground us in God's redemptive story.

JOHN MARK HICKS has taught at institu-tions affiliated with Churches of Christ since 1982, including Harding School of Theology from 1991 to 2000 and Lipscomb University from 2000 to the present, where he is currently a professor of Theology. He has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books and contributed articles to several books and peri-odicals, both academic and popular. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Jennifer, and together they share five living children and two deceased. They also have six grandchildren.