Chaplain Ministers to 'Brilliant' Scientist

Jerry (not his real name) was a highly intelligent scientist. 

For a decade he had taught medical students and was a research scientist for a major drug company. Jerry was also involved in creating some of the original prototypes for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine.

Jerry was a person who thought very logically and had to find the answers to most every question—and he had to be right. He  did not have a personal God in his life.

“You can imagine then how difficult it was when he developed a mysterious illness that was eventually diagnosed as MS—multiple sclerosis.  As his losses increased, so did his level of frustration,” said Christian Reformed Church chaplain Rev. Stan De Vries, who works at the Minnesota Community Hospice in Lakeville, Minn.

“Life became increasingly out of his control as his body began to fail him in everyday situations.”

De Vries is one of more than 130 chaplains who have been endorsed to serve in a variety of settings by the CRC’s Chaplaincy and Care Ministry.

When De Vries began to visit Jerry as his hospice chaplain, he was totally bedridden and his worst fear was that his mind would lose its clarity and precision.

“Jerry grew up in a Jewish family but his scientific mind had long ago concluded that you cannot prove or disprove God’s existence,” said De Vries.

Jerry loved to talk—about anything and everything and was happy to have someone to just listen and dialogue about his thoughts and feelings. 

As Jerry felt himself floundering in that sea of out-of-control-ness, says De Vries, he began to reconsider his scientific assumptions about the existence of a God. 

There were times when he welcomed a prayer. He was intrigued with the CRC chaplain’s prayers and remarked, “It is like you are talking directly to a person.” 

Sometimes he would laugh out loud at things De Vries said in a prayer and other times he would interject his own thoughts.
 
At one point, Jerry said: “Time is short and I have one last chance” and he tried to formulate a prayer to God but couldn’t find the words he wanted. 

De Vries said to him, “Are you requesting to know that there is a God who cares about you and will not let you suffer for a long time.” His reply? “I think you hit the nail on the head.”
 
De Vries asked if he needed the assurance that God accepted him just as he was, with all his brilliance and faults.  He agreed that he wanted that certainty. The chaplain said, “I believe that God does that for people who ask for it.” 

He replied, “Sounds good, I love you.”

As he spoke of God's forgiveness, the chaplain said, “When he forgives sins, he casts them to the bottom of the ocean and erects a ‘no fishing’ sign”.

Jerry grinned and said, “Fishing is allowed but just no catching".  De Vries agreed and said, “When God forgives us there is nothing left to condemn us.” 

Jerry replied, "I hope so."

Jerry didn’t want De Vries to leave that day.  The chaplain stayed awhile longer and then touched his forehead and gave him the blessing of the prophet Zephaniah:

 “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save, he will take great delight in you; he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” 

That was his last visit before Jerry died.

This story was written from information provided by Rev. Stan De Vries