Down in the pit of depression, we struggle to see that far. We can’t feel the warmth of God’s love in that icy place. We have no assurance that God’s even there.

I get that low sometimes. I’ve believed and loved God for most of my life, and I write about Him all the time. But sometimes the silence at the other end of the line can push me into a place of doubt. I struggle with all the same 3 a.m. questions that you probably do. And while I don’t think depression is the cause of those doubts and questions, it certainly can make them louder.

When I find myself in that place, sooner or later I’ll be reminded of another pit—the one that a pair of English children (Eustace and Jill) and a strange, gangly creature called a Marshwiggle (Puddleglum by name) found themselves in during C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia book, The Silver Chair.

A few of my favorites include G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, a clever, logical, and wildly fun illustration of why faith makes sense; C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity; and lots of stuff by Lee Strobel. The Language of God, by Nobel-winning scientist Francis S. Collins, is a great book for the more scientifically inclined. And, for philosophy majors, Anthony Flew’s There Is No A God is a pretty interesting read, too.