Rev. Mat Brown
Hospice Chaplain at Banner Hospice in Phoenix, AZ
“Chaplain, we are people of faith, please pray for my wife to be healed!”
That’s an actual request I received from a man whose wife was showing symptoms consistent with the very end of life. What’s a hospice chaplain to do?
On the one hand, I believe in the power of prayer and that “with God, all things are possible.” On the other hand, there is the reality that we are mortal and every one of us will die one day. There is a constant tension between these two truths. For hospice patients, the reality of the disease progression usually outstrips the hope for healing.
There is a story from the life of Jesus that helps me. It’s one of Jesus’ greatest miracles. Mary and Martha called for Jesus to come to their home because their brother Lazarus was ill. They believed that Jesus could heal him; but Lazarus died before Jesus arrived. In the most dramatic scene, Jesus stood in front of the tomb and called out, “Lazarus, come forth!” And Lazarus did! But here is something we don’t talk much about—the life story of Lazarus doesn’t end there. He lived a while longer but, eventually, like all human beings, Lazarus died. I imagine the rest of the story this way: After Jesus’ ascension (maybe weeks, months, or years), Lazarus got sick again. I picture Mary and Martha praying for their brother; maybe they called for one of the apostles to come and pray. The whole village gathered to see what would happen; but despite all their efforts, Lazarus died!
Life on this side of eternity comes to an end. While I would never say that to a patient or their family, I use my prayers to help them grasp the reality that they are facing death.
PRAY . . . GIVE . . . GO . . .