June 13, AD 2011

A Silly and Tragic Misunderstanding
Frank Allnutt

Bob Morris needed a new heart. Though only forty years old, he suffered from a
debilitating heart disease. For three years he had lived the life of a semi-invalid. Heart medication kept him alive, but his physical activities were severely curtailed. Once a specimen of physical fitness and an avid outdoors man, he had to quit his job in housing construction and could no longer hike in the mountains, ski, hunt, or fish. Bob had less than a year to live—unless he underwent heart transplant surgery.

He was on the waiting list for many long months. Finally the call came: A donor heart was available. The donor had just lost his life in a car accident, but his heart had not been injured.

Tests were quickly conducted on the donor heart. By all indications, it would be a good match for Bob’s body.

A few days following the successful transplant, Bob and his surgeon, Dr. Lester McPeters, held a joint news conference. Dr. McPeters announced that Bob’s new heart was healthy and functioning as it should, and that it was not being rejected by Bob’s body. “At this time,” said Dr. McPeters, “it appears that Bob should be able to resume a normal life-style. He has many good years to look forward to.”

Bob thanked Dr. McPeters, the hospital staff, and his loving and supportive family and friends. “My new heart has given me a new life,” he said, grinning broadly. “I’m a new man! And after some physical therapy, Dr. McPeters says I’ll be able to return to work—and even can go mountain climbing, and skiing, and hunting, and fishing! The first thing I’m gonna do when I get home is throw away all that old heart medicine!”

We can imagine the wonderful new life Bob could now live, thanks to his new heart. But wouldn’t it be silly and tragic if Bob refused to believe he had received a new heart and went on living as if he still had his old heart? If he continued thinking of himself as the victim of a debilitating heart condition and went on taking heart medicine he didn’t need? If he chose not to return to work and not to go mountain climbing, skiing, hunting, and fishing?

The Christian’s New Heart
As absurd as it sounds for a man with a new heart to live as if he still had his old heart, there are many Christians who, whether they know it or not, live as if they still had an old heart. Not an old biological heart, but a heart of a different kind. More >

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©Copyright AD2011 Frank Allnutt. All rights reserved. Content herein may be quoted, subject to the "fair use" doctrine of U.S. Copyright Law.

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