Duncan thoughts

After I heard Duncan had died, I was torn between wanting to stay away from the Dream Center and wanting to go everyday and sleep in the empty rooms downstairs. The next visit went okay I think. I don’t remember anything striking happening, but I remember not being able to get the picture of a grown man in a 95 pound body curled up crying while throwing up in his bed pan out of mind.

So I walked around in angst. I didn’t know how to talk to a patient who’s end was going to look a lot like Duncan’s. I didn’t know how to pray with anyone. I didn’t feel like I had anything to offer anyone in the Dream Center, South Africa, or anywhere for that matter. And then I read a parable from Jesus and a page from one of my favorite books.

The parable is this:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells ALL THAT HE HAS and buys that field.”

The quote from the book is this:

“We have betrayed the message that the kingdom of God is available for all, beginning with the least and the last and the lost – and have instead believed and taught that the kingdom of God is available for the elite, beginning with the correct and the clean and the powerful.”

I don’t know that I had some great, empowering revelation… but I know I decided to hope. I decided to not only love, but HOPE FOR the “least and the last and the lost.” The new life and kingdom of God happening all around them and me is a “treasure hidden in a field” after all.