Struck: One Christian's Reflections on Encountering Death

"Russ is the kind of writer I wish we had more of in Christian literature. His prose is flawless, his voice familiar, and his theology true. Struck is his story, told with the kind of humility only a man who knows his frailty can display. I pray it reminds us of our frailty too."

"While I don’t believe in ‘must-read’ books, you’d be cheating yourself if you didn’t read this one. It’s all at once well written and startlingly helpful. Beautiful and heartbreaking. And like all the best books, I think about what I read on those honest pages all the time. Struck reminds me of all the good books and it’s like nothing else I’ve ever read."

"Russ Ramsey takes you along with him for the dark moments as well as the revelations that surface through affliction. His humanity shines through in this honest account of what it’s like to get unexpected news and accept a new reality through suffering."

"Struck is a visceral, haunting book that surprises the reader by driving them to a place of hope and joy. As I read Russ Ramsey’s story, I found myself contemplating my own mortality, my own vulnerability. But due to the author’s sharp gospel focus, that contemplation didn’t take me to fear, but to Jesus. I think you will experience the same as you read this thoughtful, liberating book."

"In this intriguing memoir, Presbyterian pastor Ramsey (Behold the Lamb of God) delves into what happened to his faith when his body began to fail. . . . Ramsey isn’t afraid to embrace hard topics honestly, asking ‘What sort of faith could I honestly claim if I required the God I believed in to do only what made sense to this earthbound creature?’ He is also endearingly vulnerable and humorous in describing the fallout of his affliction, such as when he vented an unexpected and unbidden string of profanity in response to a neurological miscue. This candid and compassionate set of reflections on suffering will appeal widely."

"Russ Ramsey writes from his own incredible journey of near-fatal heart disease in real time. I was quickly caught up in the journey with him and felt like I became friends with him and the fascinating people he meets along the way. As a therapist who frequently references and recommends books, I moved this to the top of my list for many of the hard issues that we all face. Russ is vulnerable and honest about the deepest questions of life and leaves us with a peace that makes the unanswerable questions much less important. Russ combines Lewis’s A Grief Observed, Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage, and Kübler-Ross’s On Death and Dying in one place and gives us the head and heart knowledge for trials that we all are familiar with. I’m proud to say that Russ is as real in his roles as my pastor and friend as he is in this book."

"Earthy, authentic, and full of enduring wisdom, Russ Ramsey has eloquently documented his journey through loss in this personal story. Struck offers hope and honesty in the midst of suffering, displaying a life lived with an open heart before God in all circumstances."

"Russ Ramsey has written a memoir that’s as much about you as it is about him, because it’s inviting and true to the human experience. His honest vulnerability and literary prose aren’t simply talents, but offerings to God that beckon us to worship alongside him. This book is a gift."

"My word, Russ Ramsey has done a beautiful thing here. It takes absolute courage to walk through trauma and affliction and then return to it for the sake of others’ healing. This book will be one you treasure, return to, and know just the right time to give to your friends."

"If you’re not in the midst of struggle, one of these days you will be. That’s why you need to read this book. By letting the reader into his struggles in a winsome and honest way, Russ Ramsey shows us how not to waste our own suffering."