Cancer's Spiritual Classroom

Cancer’s Spiritual Classroom
*For the Battle Creek Enquirer*
By: Rev. Emily Joye McGaughy


Many of us have heard the popular aphorism “there are no atheists in fox holes.” Driving this catchy phrase is the proposition that facing death will cause anyone to seek God.

It’s not true.

People deal with impending death in diverse ways. Some people do, in fact, become religious, finding comfort in the ability to call upon a benevolent higher power in times of uncertainty. Other people become adamantly opposed to the notion of God, finding their life circumstance unfair and inconsistent with what they have been taught about God’s goodness. Some people assume they’ll figure it out when they cross over and don’t spend much time dwelling on the God-question while they’re still alive on earth. This diversity of experience troubles the water of simplistic spirituality, making it difficult for popular aphorisms or sound-byte answers to be ethically offered unto those who are dying.

Faith can be an incredible sustaining force for those who are facing the finality of their bodies (which is all of us in different time frames!). But not all faiths are created equal. Contemporary research shows that if people think God is the source of their pain and that God intentionally wills their suffering, they are more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety. During my clinical training as a hospital chaplain my supervisor always reminded me: “it’s not about religion or no religion, faith or doubt; it’s about how those things impact the person’s life.”

Seven months ago when I moved to Battle Creek to join the pastoral staff at First Congregational Church I met Sue. She was helping me move some furniture into my new place and mentioned that she’d lost her mom to breast cancer twenty years prior and just three years ago she’d gotten her own diagnosis of gall-bladder cancer (at the age of 50). She also informed me she’d be starting another round of chemo therapy soon. “I’m doing really well but I know there will come a time when the other shoe drops.” It was quiet for a long time. Before she left that evening I offered to meet with her regularly for spiritual care. She agreed and we’ve been getting together every other Wednesday for 7 months now to do crafts. Most of the time we sit in silence working on our individual pieces of art. Sometimes we talk about what’s going on at church and at home; other times we talk about politics and current events. You’d be surprised how often we talk about Lady GaGa!

Sue Nielson & Ejoye (July 21st 2010)

My favorite Wednesdays are the ones when Sue talks about what she’s learning in her walk with cancer, how this time in her life has deepened her spirituality. She recently shared a piece of writing with me that says “A lot of people ask me how I can be so strong. The absolute biggest part of it is my faith in God.” Contrary to popular quips, faith in God is not always a crutch. In Sue’s case, it is an incredible motivating force, a force that enables her to face the grueling regimens of chemo therapy with courage, a force that enables her to keep finding joy with her husband and friends, a force that keeps her seeking the most of what each day has to offer. I would do anything to relieve Sue’s suffering. I would. But as a pastor I would also do anything to help cancer-free people learn the lessons that Sue is teaching me every Wednesday. For instance the other day she came into my office and said “There’s something this disease does to you; it makes you live in the moment. You don’t know what your future is going to be so you take advantage of every moment you have.”

Fox holes do different things to different people. Perhaps our focus should be less on belief or religious identity in such times, and more on whether or not people are taking advantage of every precious moment they’ve got left. In fact, that’s something we could all give some more focus. Thanks, Sue.