Thomas D. Williams

Can GOD be Trusted? by Thomas D. Williams (Faith Words, Hachette Book Group 2009)

A catchy title is a wonderful beginning for a book. This one is ideal. Don’t we all wonder at one point or another in our lives if God can be trusted?

When I picked this book up and started reading it, I was fascinated by the author – an American priest who is a Vatican analyst for several news organizations. “He must have a lot to say that will be enlightening for me,” I thought. Faith is an important part of my life. I am always anxious to understand new ways of looking at issues that impact our walking around lives, as opposed to theoretical comments that are like shibboleths having no practical application.

Can GOD be Trusted faithfully addresses all of the themes that would be expected to enable readers to reach their own conclusion. I assumed that the author would come to the conclusion that God can be trusted.

Father Williams begins with a framework for his discourse that is thought-provoking:

The one who expects nothing can never be let down. Hope and trust are scary things. We risk betrayal and disappointment. We risk abandonment and disillusion. It is much safer to hope for nothing, desire nothing, aspire to nothing

. . . .

To love is to expose yourself, make yourself vulnerable, give of yourself, set yourself up for a fall.

Isn’t that the essence of belief in God, regardless of the religion or prophet that one follows? Hope, trust, faith, and love.

Following this framework, Father Williams addresses the flaws in self-sufficiency, subtraction theory (if you cannot trust anyone, only God is left), the nature of trust and faith, why trusting is so hard, pride, our feelings that God lets us down or does not hear our prayers, testing, impatience, forgiveness and redemption (e.g.: “When God forgives us, he remakes us. He not only glues us back together; he recasts and reforges us so that we truly made new”), and God as our friend.

This is a remarkably readable and though-provoking exposition of the element of faith. Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, this is a joyful read. As I read, I kept pausing and thinking about the words and thoughts.

As the end of the book was in sight, I looked forward to Father Williams grounding his wonderful words and thoughts in a way that would help readers (and me) deal with the walk around world, not the abstractions of spirituality. I hoped for guidance for how to do deal with the questions of life: “my husband has lost his job and we have no savings”; “my mother is dying and she is my best friend”; “I am alone”; “I am guilty and I cannot face up to it”; “I am addicted”; and so on.

In the end, Can GOD be Trusted does address some degree of practicality, described as “spring cleaning” and “God or ‘Flesh’”? The essential message is that one needs to turn to God, and people can fail.

I loved reading Father Williams’ exposition. I wish there were one more chapter to connect the exposition with real life on the street; to bring these wonderfully warm thoughts down to the ground for us walking on the earth people living ordinary lives.. Each of us experiences the emotions Father Williams addresses. We hope, trust, love, and have faith, at least we should. But who do we do it with? We do it with people or pets who can return the emotions. As Father Williams says, when we do so we walk out on a branch which could break, causing us hurt. Isn’t that what God empowers us to do? To have faith to love and be loved, knowing that if we fall we always have His love to pick us up, dust us off, and send us off again. In this, I am reminded of the wonderfully charming story of Punchinello, the wooden boy with a poor paint job told so beautifully by Max Lucado.

I look forward to Father Williams’ sequel, perhaps entitled “Living in God’s Hands.”… (más)

Fr. Williams obviously has a theological background as do most religious, but this book reflects more of a gentle and pastoral sensivity in addressing the historic and universal "problem of evil." His analogies and stories not only engage the reader at a personal level but also challenge the reader to "think it through." Needless to say, it is not easy to trust anyone (even God) when one is in the midst of difficult and troubled times.
Yet, Fr. Williams gives hope. This hope may be more obvious to those who have exercised faith already, but even if the reader is "new" to the Christian faith, there will be places where that one can taste it.
Simple to read, but not simplistic, this is a truly good book.… (más)

This book answers the title questions "Can God be trusted?" Since it is written by a priest you can assume his answer will be "yes."

The author explains in analogies, similar to Jesus' parables, why you can and should trust God. The book is written for people at all spiritual levels, from those whose trust issues may have them saying they don't trust anyone, especially God, to those who may feel that they have complete trust in God.

The author's catholic perspective is only obvious in a couple of the stories he tells, which is easily overlooked if you aren't of the catholic faith.

The ultimate conclusion - no matter where you are in your trust relationship with God, you can always learn to trust Him more.

I really enjoyed this book because of the author's sincerity and the way he was able to relay his message through everyday life stories.… (más)