"Cancer weakened, but did not soften Christopher Hitchens. He did not repent or forgive or ask for pity. As if granted diplomatic immunity, his mind's eye looked plainly upon the attack and counterattack of disease and treatments that robbed him of his hair, his stamina, his speaking voice and eventually his life."
Personally I'm saddened to hear about Christopher's death. He was a brilliant man. One man wrote of him,
"Christopher Hitchens was everything a great essayist should be: infuriating, brilliant, highly provocative and yet intensely serious," said Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. "I worked as an intern for him years ago. My job was to fact-check his articles. Since he had a photographic memory and an encyclopedic mind, it was the easiest job I've ever done."
I'm sure you're thinking, why is a Christian Pastor writing about the death of a passionate atheist? I'm saddened by his death because I cared about him as a human being. I'm writing about him because I feel a real loss at his passing.
I know he swore he would never convert or repent, even as he anticipated his terminal illness, and he didn't. He died holding to his convictions.
I'm saddened by his death because of my personal view of life, death and eternity. There is no joy in the death of someone who did not believe in God, only grief. His death is a loss of a brilliant man who now faces eternity.
My personal view of life, death and eternity makes this a real tragedy to me. I know my atheist friends want no sympathy, but I can't help it. I believe something about eternity that makes this a sad day as I remember a man God made.
3 comments:
I was wondering if you would write about him today. Great post. I agree that any life made by God is valuable and it's sad that Hitchens never knew his worth in God's eyes.
An excellent article about him in today's New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/opinion/sunday/douthat-the-believers-atheist.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
Thanks Brent.
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