In Intersections' “Faces of the Church” series, authors seek to put flesh and narrative on the dilemmas faced by everyday people in relation to bioethical issues.
After surviving the treatment and obliterating the leukemia, Ken and I now find ourselves looking around after the storm and feeling like we were blown over a cliff and now are in a strange land with unexpected realities and seeming absurdities.
Embracing weakness flies in the face of our culture. We’re supposed to fight it and overcome it. We elevate the strong. We like those who stand tall on their own two feet and need little from others. We like leaders who are independent and self-sufficient and can show us the way. These are the ones who are wired for success. And we assume they are blessed by God and can most easily bring God’s blessings to us. We don’t have to read much of Scripture to realize God has a different way of working.
It was a sunny Californian day when I got the call, while walking on the bustling campus of Biola University. I was closing out my junior year and felt like I knew everything and had forever to know more. All it took was one phone call to destroy that false reality forever. I had been having minor health issues that took me consistently back to the campus health center. And what had they found? I was in Stage 3 (out of 5) kidney failure.
