Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops it: Why We Suffer and How We Can Hope

During colonial times the British living in India tried to play golf, only to be frustrated by monkeys who disrupted the game by chasing the golf balls and creating chaos. The British tried erecting fences and posting guards to keep the monkeys back, but eventually decided to play the ball where the monkey dropped it -- as we often must do in life, to live as best we can with forces that are beyond our control.

Why must we suffer? Gregory Knox Jones tackles this enduring issue of life with clarity and intelligence, offering hope to anyone who is struggling with the pain and confusion of unjust suffering. Dr. Jones recounts the life stories he has seen in his work as a pastor: parents losing their child in a car accident, a runner coping with the amputation of his leg. Every day good people suffer, raising the question: Why is this so, if there is a just and all-powerful God? The response that God works in mysterious ways that are beyond human understanding simply isn't adequate in the face of such profound suffering. Dr. Jones, who has more than twenty years' experience in the parish, found that he had to rethink his ideas as he ministered to people in pain and grief. The wisdom that he gained enabled him to lead people through the most difficult circumstances to healing and new hope.

Now, in Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It, Jones gently guides us through the inadequacies of the traditional solutions to the problem of evil, offering practical and compassionate answers to the deepest questions rooted in the experience of everyday life. Notable for its relevant real-life examples and its clarity, this book offers guidance and solace to anyone who has ever wondered, "Why me?"

Dr. Gregory Knox Jones is a descendant of John Knox, who founded the Presbyterian Church in Scotland. He is pastor of Chester Presbyterian Church in Chester, Virginia. He and his wife have three grown children and a granddaughter.