An honest look at grief: Part 1
Vinoth Ramachandra
3.38
30 October 2020
17 December 2025
Vinoth Ramachandra on his latest book "Sarah’s Laughter: Doubt, Tears, and Christian Hope." Part 1
How do we react when we suffer? Through his own journey with lament, Sri Lankan theologian Vinoth Ramachandra felt frustration over the superficiality of writings on this subject. He found that many Western theologians used apologetic arguments to defend God’s actions instead of challenging injustices. Vinoth says that unlike most of the world, Westerners do not often wrestle with suffering until they personally experience it. In his book, Sarah’s Laughter, he hopes to offer an authentic exploration of suffering.
This is part one of an interview series with Vinoth Ramachandra, the IFES Secretary for Dialogue and Social Engagement. Tom De Craene, a staff member with ICHTUS Flanders, met with Vinoth over Zoom to discuss his new book, Sarah’s Laughter. In his book, Vinoth reflects upon his own journey with suffering to present an authentic and biblical response to grief. Tom and Vinoth discuss how Christians can embrace suffering as a way to more deeply discover the character of God.