Lament for a son
Lament for a son is book written by Nicholas Wolterstorff, who is mourning the premature death of his son Eric who passed away in a mountain climbing accident in Austria. Nicholas Wolterstorff is an American philosopher and currently the Noah Porter Emeritus Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale University. He is a writer with philosophical and theological interests. He has written books on aesthetics, epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, and philosophy of education. His book Lament for a son was written to honor his son. The book is full of anecdotes and stories about the death of his son to give voice to his grief. He writes the book with true emotions and stories to inspire
He however does not want to do this. He says, “ I will not look away. I will indeed remind myself that there’s more to life than pain. I will accept joy. But I will not look away from Eric dead. Its demonic awfulness I will not ignore” (54). When the author was asked, if he’s changed, he goes on to explain that he understands sorrow a lot better. He understands what suffering really feels like, and even though an outsider can never fully understand a persons suffering because each person suffering has its own quality, he knows more if it after experiencing the death of his son which taught him a lot. As he puts it, “ I have changed, yes. For the better, I do not doubt. But without a moment’s hesitation I would exchange those changes for Eric back”(73). He questions suffering and why humans suffer. Some suffering is a result of sin such as war and assault, but not all. There is no answer to the “why of suffering.
Wolterstorff’s journey of grief and mourning teaches him a lot and he starts to accept the death of his son and finds peace in God and faith. He says that God is love and that god suffered for the world that he gave up his only son to suffering. “Suffering is the meaning of our world. For love is the meaning. And love suffers” (90). The author beings to turn to Jesus to understand his own suffering, and the reason why people suffer so much. The author claims that It is important to understand mortality to appreciate life. He also realizes that suffering