TOGETHER THROUGH THE STORM:
A practical guide to Christian care
By Sally Sims
Matthiasmedia. 142 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978 1 925 424 027
When I read the title of this book, Together through the Storm, I thought it might be one of those emotional journeys through the world of care that can leave readers feeling good but with few practical tactics they can use in their own life circumstances.
Nothing leaves me more dismayed than books that give broad-brush advice that is more academic than hands-on, or worse, that quote Scriptural injunctions but fail to translate them into practical applications.
But I loved reading this book. I have no hesitation in recommending it to church leaders and Christians who want to care for others. When Sally Sims’ father developed dementia, she cared for him and her mother, and handled challenges within her own family. She states that at the heart of Christian care is the spiritual imperative of helping people to connect with Christ and deepen their relationship with him.
Seeing through God’s eyes
The first part of the book explores suffering, taking a biblical view and ‘seeing the world through God’s eyes’. She writes about a sister who suffered severe brain injury because of oxygen deprivation through a difficult labour, and how the gospel shaped her mother’s view of suffering.
The second part looks at the biblical precepts of Christian care. She warns against linking a person’s suffering to their sins, quoting Jesus’ teaching in Luke 13 and John 9, as well as the example of Job.
The third part is full of practical guidelines for responding to people needing help, including visiting those in hospital. She mentions being comfortable with silences and being prepared to sit quietly, without feeling the need to talk. Job’s friends would have done well to have read this.
Sally Sims unpacks her own training in pastoral counselling in some detail, and it’s this section that I feel most churches will find especially valuable. One gem is her advice about answering the ‘why’ question. Don’t respond with biblical explanations or head knowledge – people who are suffering aren’t looking for answers, but for empathy that assures them they’re not alone.
It is God who moves Christians to care, as Philippians 2.13 describes. This book helps translate compassion into practical action, enabled by the Holy Spirit.
