Evendays

D. asked me to meet with his father, André, who’s in the last stages of Leukemia. We hit it off pretty well just before Christmas, and since then he’s invited me back every week to talk more about Jesus. He needs to embrace Eternal Life, yet there is much resistance. André was an actor and was quite handsome, but now innumerable tumors cover his body. His clothes hide most of them, but about 50 cover his face and forehead. When he looks at himself, he sees death. André defends his non-conversion by saying: “I could never be a priest or a pastor, preaching to people the Gospel.” Or: “There are some people I just can’t do good to. I just say, ‘To Hell with them!’” Each time we set up an appointment, he tells me that he’s not sure he’s going to be “here”. The response, as kindly as possible, is: “Then why aren’t you getting ready for Eternity?” André broke my heart today. Federer was playing Haas in the Australian Open. André was more interested in the match. I can understand being more interested in sports than in Bible study. Really, I can. But if you only had a few days to live…?