Suffering can strike anyone at any time - an illness or accident, a separation or divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job. No one would suggest that you should seek out suffering. And, no one would say that you should love suffering. In fact, suffering is not a being and, therefore, cannot be loved.

But, these five insights about suffering will help you consider the value of suffering in a new light. Gerardine Guadagno shares stories of people who have lived through (or are still experiencing) suffering. She offers their examples of how to take a spiritual reality and put it into practice in a transformative way by: 

1. Facing the challenging question of why we suffer
2. Recognizing the presence of Jesus in people who suffer
3. Remaining in the present moment
4. Aligning yourself with Jesus who also suffered
5. Entering into the suffering with an awareness of what's on the other side. 

The wisdom of those who share their experiences here is a gift to anyone who wants to look at suffering with new eyes - in particular, with the eyes of a God who is love and who chose to suffer precisely so that we could love one another more deeply.

About the '5 Steps' series:

The series features audiobooks that apply concepts of a spirituality of communion to current issues and concerns of church and society. Treating one topic per volume, the content focus on positive ways of engaging with gaps and divisions in family, church, and society. Following an introduction, the topic is developed via five short chapters (or 'steps'). Uniquely, the series features a real-life story ('experience') to illustrate how each step can be applied in daily life.