Therefore I Have Hope: 12 Truths That Comfort, Sustain, and Redeem in Tragedy by Cameron Cole
Therefore I Have Hope: 12 Truths That Comfort, Sustain, and Redeem in Tragedy by Cameron Cole
Winner of WORLD's 2018 Book of the Year Award for Accessible Theology
"Throughout the journey of my worst nightmare—my descent into a dark, sad valley—the Holy Spirit would remind me of truths that comforted my soul and sustained my life."
After the sudden death of their three-year-old son, Cameron Cole and his wife found themselves clinging to Christ through twelve key theological truths—truths that became their lifeline in the midst of unthinkable grief. Weaving together their own story of tragic loss and abiding faith, Cole explores these twelve life-giving truths to offer hope and comfort to those in the midst of tragedy.
Review
“Cameron Cole candidly offers practical and biblical advice for those who mourn in Therefore I Have Hope. An easy-to-read work without heavy theological language, this book can be understood and immediately applied to make a difference in a mourner’s life. Cole openly shares lessons he's learning following the tragic loss of his son and does not shy away from gradually and carefully pulling back the curtain on very real and present pain. The principles he shares apply to those who suffer various losses―the loss of a job, a parent, a child, one’s identity, one’s confidence, or one’s friends.”
―Robert Smith Jr., Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
“With both sensitivity and skill, Cameron Cole proves in this book that the central truths of the Bible actually matter for those of us who have ever encountered the often unspeakable tragedies of life. While our words to ourselves and to those who encounter suffering and loss sometimes fall flat, Cole reminds us that the profound realities found in the person and work of Jesus Christ and his resurrection can lift us to new heights of faith, hope, and love. Every Christian needs to read this book to discover anew that God is both great and good―no matter what may befall us.”
―Julius J. Kim, Visiting Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California
“Suffering and grief accumulate. No wonder we live in a time when many have lost the landmarks of faith, hope, and love due to overwhelming heartache. Cameron Cole’s book Therefore I Have Hope does not shirk from confronting tragedy. His own story of loss is almost unbearable. Almost. But this book does not leave us drowning in the inevitable question of, “Where is God?” or suffocating in trivial answers. Cole deftly intersects God’s own stories with ours to light the lamps of faith, hope, and love.”
―Sharon Hersh, Adjunct Professor of Counseling, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando; author, Begin Again, Believe Again
“Having lost my father when I was eighteen and my brother several years later to suicide, I’ve walked the lonely road of grief. I only wish I’d had a resource like Cameron Cole’s book, which is hopeful without being trite and biblical without being preachy. This book will be of such immense encouragement and help, not just because it’s hopeful but because it’s human. I marvel that Cole bears such compelling witness to God’s grace in the midst of his Worst, and I can’t wait to put this book into the hands of people who, like Job, wonder if God has disappeared.”
―Jen Pollock Michel, author, Surprised by Paradox and Teach Us to Want
“Therefore I Have Hope chronicles Cameron Cole’s journey into one of the hardest stories a parent will ever experience, the death of a child. But, thankfully, it’s a journey that didn’t get sabotaged by graceless cynicism or religious cliché. The gospel of God’s grace is more beautiful and believable to me having read Cameron’s book. I cannot wait to share this story, these painful tears, and this profound joy.”
―Scotty Smith, Pastor Emeritus, Christ Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee; Teacher in Residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, Tennessee
“The problem of suffering is a plaything for philosophers but a reality for humans. Here, in the raw pain of grief, Cameron Cole shows God’s way of enabling Christians to face the reality of suffering. Cameron shows how the great truths of God’s Word prepare, enable, and equip us to live by hope in the midst of tragedy. A good book to read before our Worst confronts us.”
―Phillip D. Jensen, Bible Teacher and Evangelist, Two Ways Ministries
“In a world on the precipice of despair, we need a clear theology of suffering so we might truly live out a transformational theology of hope. Stories like Cole’s embody the type of flourishing available on the other side of our very worst fears, and this book offers practical ways to find a hope that does not put us to shame no matter what storms may come.”
―Jay and Katherine Wolf, Founders, HOPE HEALS; authors, Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Love
About the Author
Cameron Cole (MA, Wake Forest University) serves as director of youth ministries at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, and is the chairman of Rooted, a ministry dedicated to fostering gospel-centered student ministry.
