“Praying for My Friend”
This heartwarming piece by Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health and head of the Genome Project, deserves the broadest possible reading.
In an age of blustery, bombastic, you-and-Hitler-are-twins rhetoric, his models Christian kindness to a man known largely for his atheism.
At a time when people are anxious to testify to a miracle-a-minute, he offers another way — a richer, deeper way– to think about prayer.
And at a time of shallow friendships, he talks about walking with a friend in the midst of severe illness.
“Praying for My Friend Christopher Hitchens” by Dr. Francis Collins
I first met Christopher Hitchens at a “salon” organized by Ben Wattenberg a few years ago. The evening was advertised as a wide-ranging discussion of many topics, but soon evolved into a debate between Christopher and myself about whether a rational person could also be a person of faith. As expected based on our respective public writings, Christopher took the negative position, and I took the positive. It was an energetic and entertaining opportunity for intellectual jousting, and the quickness and edginess of Christopher’s wit was on full display – as was his remarkable command of history and literature. (In fact, I suspect he knew more about the Christian Bible than many of the Christians in attendance.)
It was with dismay that I learned in June that Christopher had been diagnosed with cancer. And this was a very serious situation – esophageal cancer that has already spread to regional lymph nodes has a poor prognosis, and pursuing all avenues of intervention, even if experimental, would be highly advisable. As the Director of the National Institutes of Health, I am in a position to be aware of new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Advances are occurring with great rapidity as technologies arising from the success of the Human Genome Project are making it possible to get a comprehensive understanding of what drives malignancy. The ability to match cancer drugs to the characteristics of an individual tumor is growing rapidly. New drug targets are being discovered. New protocols for treatment of cancer, listed in www.clinicaltrials.gov, are being developed every month.
So as I have done in other situations where a friend was in trouble, I reached out to Christopher and his wife Carol Blue to offer assistance. They welcomed that possibility, and we’ve met several times since then in their apartment. That relationship has led to some interesting ideas about how to optimize his treatment. Christopher will no doubt be writing more about these in his powerful series of essays in Vanity Fair.
Some observers have expressed surprise that the atheist intellectual and the Christian physician-scientist could become friends. After all, in the current political climate in Washington, anyone who doesn’t agree with you is supposed to be your enemy. But I would like to think that Christopher’s sharp intellect has challenged my own defense of the rationality of faith to be more consistent and compelling. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
On a personal level, I have been blessed by getting to know Christopher and Carol better – despite the “enfant terrible” reputation, Christopher has a warm humanity that is easy to perceive. And his willingness to be utterly open and transparent about his cancer diagnosis provides a breathtaking window into his personal integrity.
Over these last few months, we have not talked directly about faith. He knows that I am praying for him. But my prayer is not so much for a supernatural intervention – as a physician I have not seen evidence for such medical miracles in my own experience. Instead I pray for myself and for Christopher along the lines of James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” And I then give thanks for the chance to share in a deepening friendship.
Thanks, Mike, for posting such an encouraging piece. Dr. Collins seems to know the answer to the question, “who is my neighbor.”
Dr. Collins is both a scholar and a gentleman it seems. Good on him. He appears to be the kind of friend that anyone, believer or not, would wish to have in all of life’s experiences, joyful or sorrowful. May God grant us the grace of coming alongside suffering fellow humans wherever they (or we) may be in the journey towards, or possibly away from, faith, along with the many who rise and fall somewhere in between. The door of compassion may well open into the great room of discovery. Thanks for posting this excellent piece, Mike.
Thanks for posting this. What a great biblical perspective and refreshing example of hospitality in a culture so often driven to hostility between disagreeing parties.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
What a great example of discipleship! Thanks for posting this.
This post ought to be read in churches. There is way too much personal meanness in our dealings with one another. This story proves what I and so many others have known for years. It is difficult to hate a personal you know on a personal level. We are very good at hating at a distance.
So what do we need to happen to have this grace-filled letter read in our churches? It is such a refreshing alternative to the hate-filled language about Muslims, political parties, atheists, liberals, etc., that many of us are weary of hearing. I’m now a Dr. Collins fan!!
Dr Collins, in his caring concern for Christopher Hitchens, is demonstrating the love of Jesus and how to share it. He could have made Mr Hitchens an “enemy,” because they disagreed so profoundly. Instead he has become a neighbor and friend to a stricken, suffering human being. i give thanks to God for both of them, for all that we have learned from them, and i pray for God’s mercy for Mr Hitchens. i hope that he may live to learn more about the God whom he has previously rejected.
God’s Peace to you.
d
This brightened my day. I am so tired of all the anger and distrust we hear all around us today in this country.
What a glorious lesson for all of us. Dr. Collins is living the old adage, “You draw more flies with honey than with vinegar.” He is truly, loving his neighbor more than self. Where did we lose our way off this path of love to others as we love ourselves? I pray to erase every trace of dislike for another human being and try every day to present the loving Savior to everyone I meet, talk to, that they might know Jesus as their Savior.
My continuing prayer for Mr. Hitchins is that his anger at God be soothed and removed that he might reconcile with the One who gave Him life, recognizing that it is Satan who is taking his life from him and it is God who offers him eternal life with Him.
Thank you for being so open; it is a very urgent issue for many people. People fight unresolved issues in life. Thanks!