Pain of a Particular Kind by Peter Barnes

The loss of a child… there are few things that a parent fears more. Here Peter Barnes writes from personal experience: the loss of a grandchild. He writes from the heart, there is no sugar coating of the intensity of the pain. As a Christian the grief is no less real, the questions are the same, the shock, guilt, loneliness and all manner of other emotions are daily realities. These are not in themselves sinful. “To despair is sinful, but to grieve is not” (pg 51).

In four brief chapters Barnes writes of his own experiences and those of many others drawing the reader into a sense of shared sorrow and leading them to the hope and comfort found in the Bible. He does not shy away from the hard questions, but he points to the answers of the sovereign God. His heart-wrenching honesty leads to some very practical points about what is and isn’t helpful both for the one grieving and the one trying to support. He concludes by summarising his thoughts under four headings: There is no shame in grief; Reality must be faced; Commit all things to God; Keep looking to Christ.

Barnes has clearly found it helpful to not only plumb the Bible for comfort in his grief, but has also read widely the writings of others who have suffered the same painful loss (some many times over). The book is packed with helpful quotes from past and present authors, ranging from Rutherford, Spurgeon and Lewis to Guthrie and Eareckson as well as Bible characters. And so we have a type of condensed anthology of the wisdom that has been learnt by those who have walked this path before.

Written by one who knows, understands and empathises, this is a short book that will minister to the grieving soul, and give insights to those who seek to help them.

Lorna

Pain of a Particular Kind – The Loss of a Child, by Peter Barnes, published by Banner of Truth