Cancer

I just read the first chapter from "fearfully and wonderfully made", and I have already been awestruck. Never occur to me that the cells in me had the capacity to rebel, but chose to serve their purpose. It never occur to me that the white cells embrace danger at its own expense to keep my body whole. It never occured to me that all other cells had to willngly follow the the brain cell's instructions to keep the body alive and well. well, so far, it is just knowledge. What really struck me was the last line - cells who do not do as they should, that do not obey, that do not serve their purpose, are cancerous cells.

The thought struck me to the core. Cancer. Life wasting. All because of the few cells who disobeyed. The whole body may just die because of that few. A morbid thought. We are like a Body, each with our own purpose.... who is the cancerous cell amongst us? Anyone could be.

The next thought is even more chilling... What do we do when we know we have cancer? We try to eradicate the cancer cells - cut down the offending to save the deserving. This is what Man would do to save his own body. But what of Christ's body? He allows the cancerous cells to stay, for He knows He defeated death... but woe to those cells who thinks they can get away with it. Even as He sends out white cells after white cells to rehabilitate the cancerous ones, at the time of reckoning, those who are still cancerous will remain as such. It is chilling and yet touching to know, that Christ would rather endure a cancer wrecked body than deal with the cancer cells as efficiently as He could have. He created our bodies, He can do likewise to His body. We witness His might in the OT, how he could blast the evil... likewise, he can laser us off life... but He chose to bear with the pain. Does it not pain him to see His church cancered? Of course it does... But it shows His love for us. The thought is very humbling. Yes, I am but a cell. But for this cell, the Body endures and sustains it from its inception to its demise. Put in that perspective, God's wrath does not seem as horrible - who amongst us will tolerate the presence of cancer in our body and not seek cure (zap them!) just because they have the right not to function as they should?

I am forewarned by the chapter: I will not be cancerous. I might not be a very good cell, but I know if I am attacked or falter, others will take my place, or help me battle the problem. But a normal working cell I would choose to remain, to function as intended - not in blind zealous adherence, but in appreciation of the fact that if I rebel, I will hurt the Body, and it will pain me beyond description to understand that this Body will willingly endure my presence so long as there is a chance of rehab. Call me a selfish cell, but this cell will serve and obey because He first loved me.