Apologist and author Ravi Zacharias revealed Thursday he has a rare form of malignant cancer at the end of his spine and is “trusting the Lord” in the midst of pain and trial.
The cancer, he wrote, was discovered during back surgery three weeks ago.
“The surgery was considered a success, and the surgeon felt it was a strong reconstruction,” Zacharias wrote in a message posted on his ministry’s website. “However, since the surgery, I have faced very severe pain, so intense in the night, especially, that I have been unable to sleep.
“While we have assumed this pain was a natural consequence of the surgery, we have learned in the past week that a biopsy taken during the procedure revealed that I have a malignant tumor on my sacrum – a very rare cancer called Sarcoma.”
The sacrum is the triangular bone at the base of the spine.
“[W]e now know this is the cause of my extreme pain,” he wrote. “In the past few days, we have been meeting with specialists to determine the next course of action. They will wait until I am fully healed from the back surgery, and in 4-5 weeks, will begin treatment to shrink the tumor.”
Hi Friends, I've recently learned I have a malignant tumor on my sacrum—a very rare cancer called Sarcoma. We are trusting the Lord in this, and have already seen evidence of His hand. Margie and I and our family value your prayers. Read more: https://t.co/nfw7pb5VCS pic.twitter.com/CCVG6VzJzi
— Ravi Zacharias (@RaviZacharias) March 12, 2020
Zacharias will not resume speaking until at least the summer, he said.
“We are trusting the Lord in this, and we believe we have already seen evidence of His hand,” he wrote. “For example, the tumor did not show up on any previous scans and was only discovered by my surgeon identifying it during surgery.”
He also revealed he has received “literally thousands of messages from people all over the world” who were praying for his surgery and for relief from subsequent pain.
“I have every belief God directed and prompted my surgeon to his discovery of this tumor,” he wrote. “Margie and I and our family are so grateful for your continued prayers for the journey that lies ahead.”
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, he wrote, has a “remarkable” team of apologists and evangelists who “have been able to step in for me as I am off the road during this time of surgery and recovery.”
“I am grateful for the love and support of a team and for your friendships. We are trusting the Lord for His purpose,” he wrote. “Please do also pray that God will take away this horrific night pain, which is the most difficult part of waiting. In the meantime, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for supporting the ministry as it goes forward around the world unabated. We need you to continue to stand with us.”
Photo courtesy: Ravi Zacharias Twitter
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
