The Life of One, the Death of Another; Nabeel Qureshi and Miracles
As I sat in the backyard, reclining on a balmy September afternoon, I read the news that Nabeel Qureshi had just passed away. The day before I had gotten the results back from one of my PET scans saying that it was clear—the cancer was gone. And here the story of Nabeel passing away from stomach cancer was slapping me in the face. The 34-year-old Author, Professor, Apologist, Doctorate of Medicine, Husband, and Father had just gone home to be with Jesus.
As I watched the online video of his last words and moments, tears welled in my eyes. He was propped up with pillows in a hospital bed at MDAnderson (where I had been a patient just a couple months before because of chemo-induced fever) and here I was now reclining in a canvas lawn chair. He was explaining how they had just discontinued his nutrition as he was in the final hours of life. He spoke in a raspy voice, saying that he knew God could still perform a miracle and heal his body instantly, but he was resting in God’s faithfulness even if He chose not to.
My mom and I had an ongoing conversation about Nabeel’s death over the next couple of days. We were both melancholy thinking of Nabeel’s wife and young daughter who were grieving. My mom asked, “Doesn’t it seem like God could’ve used the miracle of healing Nabeel to bring his family to the Faith?” Nabeel had become a Christ-follower in college as a result of his best-friend’s witness. His family, especially his parents, had been crushed, considering his conversion from Islam an unforgivable sin. I responded to Mom, “Yes, but don’t you think the greater miracle would be if his family comes to the Faith in spite of and because of Nabeel’s passing?” How I pray this will happen.
What should our response be when life and death don’t make sense and seem brutally unfair? As Christians we must cling to truth. The lesson my husband was teaching his high school students this morning in church contained such truths. We read and discussed John 11:1-44--the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the Dead. Jesus was not in the same town as his friend, Lazarus, when he learned of his illness. Jesus chose to stay where he was for two more days before coming to Lazarus’ family. The anguish that Lazarus’ family and friends went through could have been prevented. Lazarus’ sisters accused Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus himself wept because of his friend’s death.
The greater miracle than preventing death, however, was raising a man back to life. Jesus said, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” My husband then gave a list of four things that we as believers should understand from this passage: God wants us to trust Him. God has the ultimate perspective. We have a God who suffers with us. We serve a God who raises the dead.
During the six month course of my chemotherapy I watched other people receive new diagnoses of cancer. And I saw some who had been battling with cancer for a while lose the fight. Why are some healed and others are not? Nabeel Qureshi was doing incredible things. He was an amazing witness. His book, “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” has touched millions. Why would a life like his be cut short? I’m sure that Nabeel is no longer asking questions like these. He is perfectly whole and in God’s presence. The expanse of eternity stretches out in front of him and he understands that his life on earth was shallow in comparison. Psalm 144:4 says, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” God brought Nabeel from death into TRUE life. Our lives here on earth are only a shadow of the things to come. As I thank God for my earthly healing and pray for continued remission, I will also rest in the fact that God has the ultimate perspective. The life of one and the death of another are both miraculous when eternity is in view.