Paul Derengowski, ThM
It was recently revealed that Charles Krauthammer, the FOX News political commentator, is terminal.
In a letter he released describing his apparent defeat at the ravages of cancer, he wrote, “My doctors tell me their best estimate is that I have only a few weeks to live. This is the final verdict. My fight is over.”
From there, Charles if full of gratitude to those who blessed his life with friendship and meaning, which included the doctors who gave their best to help Charles in his battle with cancer.
Despite the sad revelation of his impending demise and all the expressions of thanksgiving that Charles was allowed to “live the life I intended,” there no mention of Charles’ standing with God.
To some that might seem improper, unkind, or simply an imposition. How dare anyone question the sick and dying with such a conclusion.
Charles was a good man; why bring all that religious talk into the discussion? Just live-and-let-live.
The response to posturing is simple. In the eternal realm, there will be hell to pay, regardless of just how “good” that person deems him- or herself to be or what others thought of him or her while the person was alive.
Jesus said, “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32-33).
Confessing Jesus Christ in this life means to be in agreement with him, especially in the things of God as it pertains to the revelatory teachings about sin, forgiveness, and salvation.
Confession is not something anyone does to merit God’s grace in such matters.
Confession is something that God does for the individual that leads to an outward expression of heartfelt conviction, dependence, and gratitude.
In Charles Krauthammer’s letter, there is no acknowledgement of Jesus Christ, much less a public confession, whereby his destiny in the next life is secure from having to pay for his own sin debt to God forever!
There is merely an appeal to “fate” deciding his course, which is later contradicted by the life led through Charles’ intent.
Dear reader, God matters at all times, but especially in the waning days of life on earth.
Nevertheless, God is missing from Charles’ final testament and that only makes this “breaking news” that much sadder.
Perhaps, Charles chose to keep his religious sentiments “private,” as so many seem to think is appropriate in our “politically correct” culture that seeks to offend no one about anything.
That, however, would be inconsistent with what we know about Charles, who was hardly politically correct when it came to his views about anything.
It would also be inconsistent with Jesus’ statement about confessing Him before humanity.
If Charles truly knew God in the manner described above, what a golden opportunity to express it to the world — and yet we read nothing.
My heart and soul are saddened by this news, not that I really paid much attention to Charles Krautahammer’s political opinions throughout the years, but because here was a man whom I respected from a distance, who is now on death’s door, and God is missing from his lips.
May his colleagues, friends, and family, who ARE spiritually regenerate Christians, share with Charles the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if they have not already, before it is eternally too late.
For the rest of us, may we take Charles’ demise as an object lesson, that regardless of how successful we become or how dire life treats us, even to the point of dying and death, God matters.
Failure to recognize that will only result in sadness, that even Charles writes about in his letter, except that sadness will be infinitely multiplied, once the person’s eyes close for the last time in death.
God have mercy.
