Lament for a Son

Wolterstorff shares that a friend of his suggested to him that he abandon his faith due to the world’s suffering. However, Wolterstorff expresses that he cannot disbelieve in God when he contemplates the intricacies of the world and the universe. He emphasizes that this isn’t based on logical arguments, but rather an irresistible conviction that wells up within him. He finds the evidence for God’s existence, including the resurrection of Jesus, to be compelling.

The author describes faith as a precarious bridge over a chasm, one that he currently stands upon. This metaphor illustrates the uncertainty and risk involved in faith. He questions whether his beliefs about God’s love are deluded, and whether he is mistaken in believing that the wounds of the world have their “answer” in God. Despite these doubts, he cannot dispel the sense of God’s presence as he conducts this introspection.

Wolterstorff then shifts to expressing his longing to speak with Eric again. As he imagines such a conversation, he expresses both hope and doubt about the possibility of such a reunion. He engages in an imagined dialogue with God about the slowness of divine redemption compared to the swiftness of the world’s creation.