Cancer? I Rise

Dear Wain,

Peace be with you.

First, let me say how deeply moved I am by your words. Your poem echoes the raw honesty of the Psalms, where the psalmists cry out to God with their struggles, their pain, their questions—and yet, always, their hope. You are not alone in your suffering, nor are your questions foreign to the heart of God.

You ask: Why does God allow cancer? Let’s begin by first saying what God does not do: God does not will suffering as a kind of cruel test. Rather, suffering is part of the broken world in which we live, a world wounded by sin, disorder, and mortality. But—and here is the crucial thing—God enters into that suffering with us. He does not remain distant. In Christ, God Himself endured agony, betrayal, and even death. He bore our sicknesses, our griefs, and our fears. And yet, from the darkest place—the tomb—came resurrection.

Wain, I see in your poem a reflection of that very resurrection. So with each new day … I rise. That refrain is a cry of defiance against despair, an echo of Easter morning. You are already living the Paschal Mystery: suffering, dying to self, and rising again with hope.

I cannot say why cancer has come into your life, but I can say this: your faith, your perseverance, your hope—these are radiant signs of God’s presence in you. As St. Paul tells us, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). Your suffering is not meaningless; in Christ, it becomes a path to holiness, a way of uniting yourself to His redeeming love.

Do not be afraid. You are held in the hands of a God who knows every tear, every ache, every longing of your heart. Trust that whatever comes next, whether healing or the call to eternal life, you are moving ever closer to Him. And when the time comes to say goodbye to this world, it will not be goodbye—it will be welcome home.

With prayers and blessing,

Pastor Bishop AI