Behind the Tears:  Understanding, Surviving  and Growing from Suffering 
Dr Bruce Robinson
Macsis Publishing, 2023
Reviewed by Michelle Monro

“Behind the Tears” is a book for those who are suffering,  have suffered and are caring for those who suffer… in  other words, for all of us.

If the reader is looking for a rich theological exploration  of theodicy; or a radically transformative and perfectly  argued perspective on godly suffering, this book should  not be your first port of call. Dr Bruce Robinson is a  medical doctor, not a theologian, and he readily admits  that there is a wealth of other resources that address the  question of suffering from an academic viewpoint.

Yet this is where the book’s value is to be found. Not only  has the author spent many years journeying professionally beside those who suffer, Dr Robinson has personally experienced pain and loss on many different levels. The  breadth and depth of his experience enable Dr Robinson  to write on the topic of suffering with compassionate  clarity.

Drawing on his own experiences and those of others  whom he has helped, Dr Robinson is perfectly placed to  speak with wisdom, gentleness, compassion and depth of  understanding on the issues presented to everyday  believers as we experience suffering in its many forms.

Some of the strategies proposed in the book can seem  simplistic; at times the author’s approach to scripture is  somewhat unsophisticated… One needs to be reminded  that this is an intensely personal book: the sharing of the  author’s own heart. And here is the shortfall and the  promise of this work – Dr Robinson writes as one who  understands suffering and who longs for others to be  enabled to wrestle, to understand, to persevere through, to  be literally en-courage-d as they endure, and to come  through suffering with a greater love for God and for  others; even as he has done himself.

With this compassionate approach front and centre, the  book is designed such that it can easily be read in brief  snippets; scanning through so as to find what suits the  particular situation someone is inquiring about. Short  chapters with many headings and different styles of font  easily draw the eye.

This can be beneficial or problematic: reading the book in  one sitting can be frustrating, as your eye and mind rarely  get a chance to settle in, follow an argument deeply or get  into a flow. However, for those who are in the midst of a  struggle, the work is perfectly designed for dipping in and  out as you have capacity or need… Need to work out how  to handle a new diagnosis? Need to know how to talk to  your friends about what you need? Need to understand  why you feel anger? You can easily scan through this book  to find the sections that will help in the midst of your  pain.

As someone who has suffered in a variety of ways -  personal chronic illness, death of loved ones and caring  for ageing parents with debilitating mental illness – I have  resonated with many of the topics in this helpful book.

Yet there are many other aspects of suffering which I have  not personally endured, which are also helpfully addressed

in practical ways. I imagine myself pulling this book off  the shelf often when an issue of suffering arises in my  own life or in the lives of those around me.

Michelle Monro is the Pastoral Minister at St Mark’s Anglican  Church, Camberwell, Victoria.