Apologist Dr. Sean McDowell recently provided an update on his health, as well as the faith lessons he has learned while dealing with chronic pain.
The son of famed apologist Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell is an author, online content creator, and associate professor of Christian apologetics at Talbot School of Theology of Biola University. Last month, McDowell revealed that he was dealing with a chronic ailment that, while not life-threatening, was the source of severe pain and required surgery.
“The last two months have been the most physically painful and difficult of my life,” McDowell said in a video posted to YouTube on Oct. 30.
McDowell went on to express that he has been hesitant to share publicly about his health, because “there’s people going through a lot more pain and have experienced a lot more pain than I have.” Nevertheless, he felt it was appropriate to give an update since some people who follow his work have expressed concern for him in light of his recent weight loss and inability to fulfill certain speaking commitments.
McDowell said that a couple of months ago, he began experiencing “a kind of pain I’ve never felt before…a feeling of nauseousness. Sometimes, I was literally, physically shaking and thought I was going to faint because of the pain.”
“A lot of times, I would just lay on the ground and take literally a breath at a time just trying to get through that pain—sometimes, for hours,” he added.
After a week of pain, McDowell went to urgent care. Doctors sent him to the emergency room, and McDowell later met with specialists to diagnose his condition and provide treatment options. Eventually, he underwent two procedures. Now, McDowell says he has regained some weight and is on the road to recovery.
“So, basically, it’s moved from—I think it’s fair to say—excruciating pain at times to just uncomfortable,” McDowell said. “But I can live with this, deal with this. Step by step, we’re getting better and getting there.”
Sean McDowell Shares Lessons Pain Has Taught Him
After providing his health update, McDowell went on to share some of the lessons he has learned while dealing with pain. The first was “a huge amount of compassion for people going through pain.”
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“I’m embarrassed to admit that, so many times, the pain of other people was just not on my radar,” McDowell said. “But, I’m telling you, God has used this to open up my eyes—that when I hear and see things that somebody’s in pain, [God] draws my attention to it.”
