Finding God in Suffering: Journeying with Jesus and Scriptures

By Siu Fung Wu and Gordon Preece

Finding God in Suffering is about a Jesus-follower's pilgrimage from East Asia to Australia. It speaks of his journey of sorrow and joy, struggles and hope, affliction and God's power in his weakness as he navigates through life as a factory worker, international student, software developer, church minister, global education officer at a humanitarian organization, and lecturer in the New Testament. It is about how he makes sense of suffering in a world of pain and chaos through the Bible, and how he responds to God's call to follow the crucified Christ and risen Lord. Finding God in Suffering is a thoughtful reflection of the Scriptures, suffering, and issues of injustice. It is an invitation to participate in God's purpose for humanity by sharing in Christ's suffering and bearing his image. Suffering is not pleasant, but it is not worthless either. Siu Fung Wu encourages us to keep following Jesus in our suffering.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Release date: Mar 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781666758696

Siu Fung Wu

Siu Fung Wu was a factory worker, software developer, pastor, and global education officer before he became a New Testament academic. He is the author of Suffering in Romans and editor of Suffering in Paul. In addition to academic writings, he has written numerous articles on Christian living and leadership. He loves the Bible and longs to see the church embody the gospel in everyday life.

Book preview

Finding God in Suffering

Journeying with Jesus and Scriptures

Siu Fung Wu

Foreword by Gordon Preece

Finding God in Suffering

Journeying with Jesus and Scriptures

Copyright ©

2023

Siu Fung Wu. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

, Eugene, OR

97401

.

Wipf & Stock

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

Eugene, OR

97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-6667-5867-2

hardcover isbn: 978-1-6667-5868-9

ebook isbn: 978-1-6667-5869-6

version number 020823

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©

2011

,

2016

by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©

1973

,

1978

,

1984

,

2011

by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©

1989

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: From the Beginning

Chapter 2: Finding Christ in Suffering

Chapter 3: Daughtership and Sonship

Chapter 4: Cross-Bearing and God’s Faithfulness

Chapter 5: Poverty and Injustice

Chapter 6: Love-Centered Community and the Triumph of God

Bibliography

"In Finding God in Suffering, Siu Fung Wu brings a rich East Asian and Australian perspective to his journey into humanitarian aid and teaching theology. This intensely personal and moving account illuminates Wu’s commitment to serving the poor and to understanding suffering in the Pauline writings. I loved the book and the integration of Wu’s own story with Scripture reflection and other personal narratives. Thoughtful readers will find this short book accessible and uplifting."

—Jill Firth, lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament, Ridley College

Siu Fung Wu knows suffering well—personally, pastorally, biblically, theologically, and missionally. In this book he interweaves his experiences, scriptural insight, and Christlike concern for others. It is compelling, therefore, not so much because Siu Fung’s experience is unique, but because it is all too common, and because his own suffering and his scholarship merge seamlessly with his sensitivity to a suffering world.

—Michael J. Gorman, chair in biblical studies and theology, St. Mary’s Seminary & University

As a Chin refugee who grew up under military oppression, I turn to Scripture to make sense of my life of hardship. Siu Fung Wu’s reflections are true for me—the suffering of people and the suffering of Christ are clearly linked. Those with firsthand experience of poverty and marginalization have much to teach us, if we allow them. In a world of inevitable pain, Wu reminds us of the love of our God who suffers with us.

—Sung Sung Lian Hrang, former refugee from Chin State, Burma

This book is a challenge to us who seek to flee from weakness and shame in the pursuit of upward mobility. This can lead to blindness and a contribution to the suffering of others. Siu Fung Wu evokes the socioeconomic context of Romans and demonstrates convincingly from Scripture that power in weakness is not just an abstract concept, but when Christians lean into that which we seek to flee, there is encouragement, hope, and Jesus himself.

—Grace Lung, founder, Asians Between Cultures

Siu Fung Wu is a world-class biblical scholar and a beautiful soul, and in this wonderfully narrated account, he weaves together his personal experience of hardship with that of the apostle Paul. Deeply biblical and providing insight into the complex realities of suffering in the ancient and modern worlds, his compelling story of struggle is also one of rejoicing in the triumph in Christ.

—Timothy Gombis, author of Power in Weakness: Paul’s Transformed Vision for Ministry

"Combining intellectual integrity and deep theological reflection, Siu Fung Wu presents a compelling dialogue between the biblical text and the fragility of human life. Positing cruciformity as a roadmap, Finding God in Suffering appeals to the cry ‘Abba, Father’ as primal to our participation in Christ’s sufferings and the paternal embrace of restorative glory. It celebrates the God of the margins, who sits with the vulnerable, transforming them to not simply know the message, but become the message."

—Cass Kwakye, lecturer in New Testament studies, Whitley College

Siu Fung Wu’s book weaves lived experiences of poverty, suffering, and injustice together with careful study of Scripture. His work is personable and insightful, yet challenging—exposing systems that perpetuate abuses of power and reinforce injustice, not least in the church. What threads the entire piece together is a deep love for God, a desire to bring readers into closer affinity with the least of these and to encounter the God who suffers with them.

—Sarah Do, TransFormation program coordinator, Whitley College

"Finding God in Suffering is an invitation to share in a journey of faith and suffering through the lens of a scholar, pastor, son, husband, and father. As an Asian migrant to Australia, Siu Fung Wu provides fresh biblical insights (especially from Romans) and honest personal reflection on racism, poverty, injustice, loneliness, disability, and much more. This book will inform, challenge, and inspire all who desire to keep following Christ in our broken world."

—David H. F. Ng, lecturer in intercultural studies, Melbourne School of Theology

"Finding God in Suffering is an important contribution to our understanding of the gospel. A man of significant academic achievement with the ability to speak to the ‘person in the street’ is a rare find. Siu Fung Wu’s ability to merge his deep understanding of Scripture with the reality of daily sufferings is a standout feature of this book. He shows us important truths about poverty and power imbalance. Suffering is real, but God is right there with us."

—Jim Reiher, author of James: Peace Activist and Advocate for the Poor

Having had the privilege of studying under Siu Fung Wu during my theological studies, his reflections on suffering were particularly formative in my own faith journey. In this new work, he takes the common experience of suffering in our world and, through sharing his own journey, brings a timely reminder about the hope and presence of God in the midst of it all. A compelling and enlightening read for people of all ages, stages, and contexts in life.

—Mike Riddell, next generation pastor, Syndal Baptist Church

It is one thing to study the Christian faith in a distant and cold academic way. It is a whole other thing to see the Christian faith lived out in someone’s real life. Siu Fung Wu writes about his own fascinating life with authenticity and transparency—the good and bad, the darkness and the light. The theme of Wu’s life isn’t that Jesus takes away problems or suffering, but that he meets us there and knows our pain. He brings hope because he leads us forward on the path well-trodden by his weathered feet. I am thankful that Wu has shared the gospel in these pages, and shared his life as well.

—Nijay K. Gupta, professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary

Siu Fung Wu’s book is a rare gift for anyone who wants to understand suffering in its many forms. Wu deftly weaves memoir with biblical exegesis to explore the dimensions of human hardship in connection with poverty, disability, racial injustice, domestic violence, and other types of abuse. Wu does not shy away from addressing the stark realities and causes of hardship; ultimately, however, he offers a gospel of hope in the midst of suffering, especially for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised.

—Megan Turton, lecturer in Hebrew Bible and language, Whitley College

The Western church has never been in greater need of voices from beyond its own perspective. Siu Fung Wu’s work continues to speak prophetically to those of us in the minority world, particularly around issues of culture and faith, biblical interpretation, and the nature of suffering. This is a book for anyone who has experienced the hardship of this life and who seeks to know the presence of God in its midst.

—Andy Mitchell, lecturer in practical theology and ministry, Whitley College

Siu Fung Wu’s poignant book is part spiritual memoir and part guide, as he takes us on a journey to discovering God in the midst of sorrow and pain. His insights on biblical texts reflect not only his knowledge as a New Testament scholar but his deeply personal desire as a Christian to make sense of injustice and adversity in his life and the world. Without glorifying or minimizing suffering, Wu asks how we can glorify God in our suffering as God’s image bearers in the pursuit of justice.

—Janette H. Ok, associate professor of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

To my mother, with deep gratitude for her unfailing love.

To my wife Catherine, affectionately and with heartfelt gratitude.

To my son Caleb, my pride and greatest joy.

Foreword

What a privilege to be invited by my good friend Siu Fung to write a foreword to his genuinely uplifting book Finding God in Suffering: Journeying with Jesus and Scriptures. Enthralled, captivated, and challenged also capture my response to this well-mixed blend of Bible, autobiography, and wise guide. This invitation to spiritual and scriptural accompaniment does not disappoint. Enlightenment emerges out of, or perhaps paradoxically, in the shadows of suffering, during an adventurous journey.

As I expected from Siu Fung, his personal depictions of suffering are made without blame or exaggeration. His poor, toiling parents in Hong Kong’s garment district are so fixated on survival that they don’t have the luxury of much emotional expression. The matter-of-fact language, from a biblical scholar, is true both in form and content to Scripture. It is plain, simple, clear, and often authentically heart-wrenching. Siu Fung’s hard-working life was made much harder through his mother’s stroke at thirty-five, major heart-surgery, and long-term disability and immobility on her right side. Her stressed husband faced a five-hour return trip daily to see her and provide her with special traditional food. Upon return to her many-staired home, she faced traditional stigma towards disability, and being knocked over by the mobile mob on the streets. Teenager Siu Fung makes herculean efforts to carry her across the dangerous roads. But he is simply, without ornament, showing what the life of the suffering and disabled poor is like.

Young Siu Fung was resourceful—he had to be. He does his father’s business accounts which barely broke even, on top of his manual work (till 9:00 p.m.) and school studies (till 2:00 a.m.!). Like most Chinese parents, his father put a high priority on children’s education as the way to a future. Siu Fung turns in for sleep after listening to his parents’ fights. His father’s verbal and physical violence was terrifying.

Yet, in the presence of a mountain of misfortune, Siu Fung found the joy and company of Jesus on his hard journey at seventeen. This was no merely intellectual conversion but a deep experience of shared suffering with Jesus. And from within a dysfunctional family, he discovered families like his own in Scripture, and found liberation from existential slavery into the intimacy of finding Christ in suffering and becoming a child of God. Despite his relatively arduous, unhappy family, he discovered a new dimension of family in his adoption into God’s family (Rom 8:15–17).

But it was still no easy ride. The quest to get into an English University involved overcoming numerous obstacles, not primarily academic, but financial. It was a whole extended family challenge right up until the moment of airport takeoff—culminating in a form of motherly love that will let go, even of her much-loved son, to her own economic and physical detriment. On top of that were language, climatic, and cultural challenges—not only in a global sense—but also racism within the UK. With the wider family’s educational and economic expectations resting on his shoulders, Siu Fung faced doubt and disappointment.

But he also had a solid sense of Christ’s peaceful presence and the sustaining support of the means of grace, Bible reading and prayer, praise, and sacraments. This brought some stability in the midst of constant challenge. Some of this came through forms of guidance and confirmation, ranging from the more charismatic/Pentecostal to the sacramental. Siu Fung wasn’t fussy about how Christ showed his presence in times of suffering or stepping out in faith. He longs for people, both East and West, whether through more physical or mental suffering respectively, to find such consolation and immense support in Christ’s sufferings, cross-bearing, and God’s faithfulness. And a horizon of hope is promised in the cosmic renewal of Rom 8.

For young and mature Christians alike, Siu Fung provides in Christ and Paul’s and his own experience a rich blend of suffering and sustainable spirituality for the long haul.