God's Grace

I came across a Ted-ed video entitled "Why is it so Hard to Cure Cancer?" today. Actually I saw facebook post a couple of days back but decided to give it a miss because there didn't seem to be any upside knowing the answer to the question. Beside I felt like I knew what it was going to say. When I saw the post again this morning, I decide to click on it because the cartoon style graphics was rather interesting - the cancer cells were depicted as sinister looking black squids.

And indeed, the video was informative. If it were on some other topic, I would have even called it entertaining. It talked about how cancer cells can replicate into different types of sub-clones. By its very nature cancer cells are mutants, so I guess they are in the business of mutating. Treatment targeted at one sub-clone may be completely ineffective in combating another sub-clone. It talked about cancer cells communicating and inducing healthy cells, and suppressing the immune system. There are cancer stem cells that are stubborn against medical treatment, and all it takes is a single remaining cancer stem cell to trigger a relapse. The video also explained how cancer cells have their own defence system against the treatments administered.

The nature of cancer has such strong parallels to the nature of sin. We are all born fallen, and our fallenness gets the better of us. It becomes our second nature such that we don't necessary see the right from wrong. If we do see it, we hide from it or change our point of view to fit the situation. What starts out as a little experiment can end up permanently damaging us and the people around us. It spreads and morphs, unless something radical is done about it.

The Ted-ed video ends on a slightly positive note. It highlighted the advancement in medicine which has significantly improved survival rates. There continues to be new discoveries and treatments. As with sin, the prognosis is grave. That cancerous stem cell from the Garden of Eden is far too stubborn and aggressive. Whether we think that the Eden episode is a Jewish fable or a godly synopsis, the undeniable fact of human mortality is spelt out. There isn't a cure.

But where there is no cure for sin, there is forgiveness by a gracious God. A God who recognises that we are not capable of leading sinless lives, so He constantly asks us to hand over our cancers to Him. Constantly reminding us that He has paid the ultimate price for our sins so that we don't have to. 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.                                  ~ Psalm 103: 11-12