Dr. Kent Brantly and Risky Faith

In was in the summer of 2003 when our flight was delayed until the next morning that I first met Kent Brantly.  He was a student at ACU who had been in Latin America for a short-term trip.  My wife and I were returning as well from a short-term mission trip.  We met somewhere in the process of retrieving luggage and finding out about our flight.  We invited him to share a hotel room with us.  He shared with us his plans at that time to attend medical school and become a medical missionary.  He had a great passion for missions at the time and a heart of compassion for the lost and hurting.  Since that encounter over 11 years ago, we have not been together again.  We have emailed on occasion, and I have kept up with his marriage, kids, and work through Facebook.

Upon hearing that he had contracted Ebola, it troubled us very much.  We have been fervently praying for him and Nancy Writebol to recover.  Thankfully, it seems all signs are good at the time of this writing for both of them as they are continuing to survive and showing some improvements based upon the media reports.

Since hearing this news, my mind has considered Kent and other’s risky faith.  I remember being impressed, back in 2003, with his desire to go to medical school, which requires much effort and time, and then use that in missionary service full-time.  It is so counter-cultural to what we typically think should be done with our education.  We go to school to make money and get a good job!  Kent was determined and ardently went about fulfilling the plan.  But, it is one thing to give up money, and a another to risk your life in service to the Lord.  Sitting in our comfortable chairs in America, we can tend to think it is foolish and poor stewardship for someone to risk their life for the Lord.  Kent had the choice when the Ebola outbreak started in Liberia to leave, but he chose to stay and treat the sick and hurting.  He, along with the other caregivers, were risking their lives.

As an American culture we expect people to risk their lives playing football, driving cars around a track, serving in the military to defend us, fighting fires, and even for adventure.  But somehow, if someone risks his life for the cause of Christ, it is often unwise, poor stewardship, or blind faith.  As I thought about Kent and his family this past week, I have kept coming back to this thought of them being soldiers in the Lord’s army and risking their lives for the cause of Christ.  The Bible speaks of “men who have risked their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 15:26).  Priscilla and Aquila are said to have “risked their neck” in order to aid Paul (Rom. 16:4).  Epaphroditus is said by Paul to have “nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” (Phil. 2:30).

Admittedly, the line does sometimes seem blurry in regard to our faith decisions.  Is it an action motivated out of faith, courage, and love, or one motivated from pride, adventure, and irresponsibility?

However, after thinking about Kent’s risky faith, I can’t help but think the church, and my life included, needs more risky faith!  We might just turn the world up-side down like our 1st Century brethren did!