In Pablo Martinez's A Thorn in the Flesh: Finding Strength and Hope amid Suffering, we are treated to a wonderfully pastoral and personal account that points beyond the 'why' of suffering to a place of hope. What is a 'thorn'? Pablo Martinez knows all too well first-hand. For more than twenty-five years he has suffered with a rare eye disease. Others have experienced traumatic loss, too terrible for words. Pablo meets these people all the time through his work. Pablo identifies five traits of a thorn. It is; painful; limiting; humiliating; prolonged; something to fight against. In the New Testament, Paul shared his experience of a thorn (2 Corinthians 12:7 - 10). God chose not to remove it in spite of his pleading. In the context of our salvation, Jesus suffered more than any person has ever suffered. God's identification with human tragedy is perfectly expressed in the name Emmanuel: God with us. Humbly and wisely, Pablo guides us beyond the 'why' of suffering to a place of hope.
