Cancer and the Cross

Chris Kemshell’s “Cancer and the Cross” is a powerful and inspirational read. I found it intensely moving but that is, at least in part, because I have shared some of the journey with Chris and his wife, Lucy. I was the Synod Moderator when Chris was ordained in 2013, and so presided at his ordination, and held that role until the end of 2020 so shared something of the original trauma of the diagnosis and have watched Chris as he has dealt with what this has thrown at him. Of course, Chris has struggled, but I am incredibly impressed with how he has coped, and the book is very reflective of the Chris I know. I am so glad that he can say, as he does relatively near the beginning: “My weakness is almost becoming my strength in that I am becoming increasingly dependent on God due to my diagnosis. In a bizarre way, I am thankful for my situation and can relate completely to Paul’s claim in 2 Corinthians 12:10: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”” Chris cites a lot of Scripture as he writes, but that’s no bad thing. What comes through is his trust in God. I was on a long plane journey, but it is still unusual for me to read a book from start to finish without putting it down, but that’s how it grabbed my attention.