Gospel Prism

Today, I spent 11 hours in a hospital waiting room. I saw my father-in-law undergo a chemo treatment along with a blood transfusion. His demeanor is so calm generally that it really helps him during such times. He really does take this in stride and that makes him and those around him much more calm.

So what did I do for 11 the hospital? I sat and read Team of Rivals. I’m on page 300. It’s a 750 page book so I still have a ways to go. But to me, reading this book is like reading a novel. I love reading it. I also ran the 8 flights of stairs four times for some exercise (Boy am I out of shape. I sure was huffing and puffing). There is so much to reflect on sitting in a hospital, seeing illness and death all around you. I know those in the health profession get anesthetized to seeing such things, which I don’t know if that is actually a good thing. But to think about death every day (like Edwards did) has some real spiritual benefits. Sitting there in the chemo day care unit, made me see the reality of life. I saw one mom who lost her hair with her little son lying on her lap waiting in the room. I saw young men and women, along with the elderly. But I must admit, my heart goes out to the young who are dying of cancer more than the elderly. I wonder how people who do not know Christ deal with the coming reality of death. I think the answer is that they don’t deal with death at all. Death is a friend to be locked in the closet of one’s mind, only released when death is breaking the door down. But most simply refuse to see his coming as real. And so there is denial.

But for us in Christ, what a treasure 1 Corinthians 15 is, “Where O death is your sting?” In Christ, the stinger has been utterly obliterated. This is grace that truly is amazing.

As for Lincoln, I have loved reading this book. I am truly amazed by a man such as Lincoln. I don’t know if he was a believer or not. I am skeptical. But Lincoln is one of those people in human history that tells me that God’s common grace is truly a wonder. I am amazed that God can allow such humility, wisdom, leadership, wittiness in someone who might not have known Christ (even though Lincoln was a church-goer, there are different things that thus far, make me wonder whether his faith was genuine). I will comment more specifically on Lincoln later.