In the sermon at church today, our pastor reminded us of Matthew's Gospel and the Jesus' teachings to pray for those who persecute you, reminding us that God causes it to rain on the just and the unjust alike. It was an interesting follow up to an article I read in this morning's New York Times,"Death, the Prosperity Gospel and Me"by Duke University professor Kate Bowler.
Dr. Bowler asks the question that I imagine many cancer patients ponder, even if only in the deepest recesses of their hearts -- If God indeed rewards the faithful, why did I get cancer? She's 35, married with a young child, and is accomplished in her career as a historian of the American prosperity gospel. For those unfamiliar with this term, (and admittedly I was until this morning) "the prosperity gospel is the belief that God grants health and wealth to those with the right kind of faith."
This article is deeply moving, as Bowler examines her topic anew, now through the lens of her personal journey as a cancer patient. I won't delve into her dissection of the continued explosion (and perhaps overuse) of the term "blessed" in our society -- that alone makes the article worth reading.
If you aren't able to make time for the whole piece, I highly recommend starting with the paragraph that opens "One of the most endearing and saddest things about being sick is watching people's attempts to make sense of your problem." I am confident that those affected by cancer will resonate with Bowler's experience.
Though I am in the caregiver role, I related to her story and am grateful for her courage in sharing her experience. A cancer diagnosis deeply affects the lives of patients and the ones they love. We find ourselves struggling for answers, including the one that for me is unanswerable -- Why my sister?
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