The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken
Week 3: Part Two — Loss and Breaking (The Death of Andrew)
Read Part Two of The Insanity of God (the death of the Ripkens' son, Andrew, and its aftermath). Key passage: Psalm 22:1-2; Romans 8:28.
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In this devastating section, the Ripkens suffer a loss that no parent should have to bear — and Nik finds himself not just grieving, but spiritually shattered.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Nik and Ruth lose their son Andrew to an illness that, in almost any other setting, would have been treatable. How does the location of Andrew's death — on the mission field, in obedience to God's call — make the grief more complicated, not less?
2.Nik is honest that Andrew's death did not simply deepen his faith — it broke it, at least for a time. Why is it important that he tells the story this way, rather than offering a tidier narrative of faith triumphing over grief?
3.Psalm 22 opens with the cry, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' — words Jesus himself quoted from the cross. How does knowing that Scripture makes room for this kind of anguished prayer change the way you think about your own moments of spiritual darkness?
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