A couple of weeks ago we pulled the plug on cable TV and went with a streaming service instead. Before we did I had to find out whether we'd still get the quiz show, Jeopardy -- we do. Alex Trebek has been the host of Jeopardy for 35 years and at age 78 he has another three years on his contract, so he must love his work.
I have a tenuous connection with Alex who was born in Sudbury, Ontario and as a child lived for a time with his father in the Nickel Range Hotel. When the hotel closed the barber shop moved into St. Andrew's Place, the multi-purpose building owned by the St. Andrew's congregation where I was pastor for eleven years. How is that for, say, sixty-six degrees of separation?
Fans of the show and of Alex were shocked to hear that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and symptoms don't become apparent until it is well advanced. Only a small percentage of those afflicted make it to five years.
Alex bravely told the world about his diagnosis before a televised match and included this statement:
Now, normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I'm going to fight this. And I'm going to keep working and with the love and support of my family and friends -- and with the help of your prayers also -- I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.
I applaud his courage, which brought to mind Betty, an active member of a congregation I served. When she was diagnosed I assumed that she would step down as chair-elect for the congregational board. Instead she decided to proceed and fulfilled her term. Betty was part of a lively group of women which included Ruth, my wife, who joined for supper and conversation and laughter on a regular basis until within a few weeks of her eventual death.
She lived long enough and with sufficient vigour that doctors considered her a medical marvel. She was relentlessly positive, but I recall sitting with her in her home as she told me that she was too weary to carry on with the endless treatment experiments. She was bathed in constant prayer by her faith community and when the end came it was with loving family and friends around her.
God bless Alex, thank God for Betty's witness, and God be with all those who live bravely with cancer.
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1 comment:
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