Theologian Dr. John Piper described himself as being in “awe” of a response former U.S. Sen. Dr. Ben Sasse (R-NE) gave in a recent interview with the New York Times’ Ross Douthat. Sasse, a Christian, is terminally ill with pancreatic cancer and has been doing a number of interviews sharing how his faith shapes how he is facing his impending death.
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“Many of you know that the former senator from Nebraska and former president of University of Florida, Ben Sasse, was diagnosed last fall with pancreatic cancer and is not expected to live more than a few more months,” Piper told attendees of the Theology for Everyone Weekend, which took place April 17-18 and was put on by Bethlehem College and Seminary.
Bethlehem College and Seminary, where Piper serves as chancellor, is an outgrowth of Bethlehem Baptist Church, where Piper pastored for over 30 years.
Piper mentioned that Sasse did an interview with Douthat that was released to YouTube on April 9. The interview was part of the New York Times series “Interesting Times with Ross Douthat” and is titled “How Ben Sasse Is Living Now That He Is Dying.”
Piper encouraged conference attendees to watch the interview, although he warned that if people have “a queasy stomach,” they might not want to. Sasse “looks like his face had been taken to a blowtorch,” said Piper, referring to how the cancer treatment had impacted the former senator.
Piper described a moment in the interview when Douthat asked Sasse, “Are you angry at God, ever?”
Sasse said, “Not at all,” adding, “I wouldn’t want a sovereign God to defer to all of my prayers with a yes ‘cause I’m not omniscient.”
Theologian Dr. John Piper described himself as being in awe of a response former U.S. Sen. Dr. Ben Sasse (R-NE) gave in a recent interview with the New York Times’ Ross Douthat.Click to Post“I don’t know what the weaving together of the tapestry of full redemption should look like,” Sasse said, “but I know going through the period of suffering that I’m going through is a benefit because it is a winnowing. I’m filled with dross. This suffering is not salvific, but it’s sanctifying, and I’m grateful for it.”
