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Word from Grace Street: Objectivity v. Mystery
Posted by Kimberly Allen
In this week's Word from Grace Street, Wallace+ shares part of an interview with physician and author Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. Dr. Remen recalls the case of a man riddled with cancer whose lesions disappeared without any discernible explanation:
Dr. Remen remembers the medical staff's reaction, "Now, were we in awe? Certainly not. We were frustrated. Obviously, someone had misdiagnosed him."
An intensive study of the case ensued, with expert opinion solicited from around the country. The conclusion of that inquiry was that the chemotherapy that had been discontinued eleven months earlier had suddenly had a delayed effect.
"The embarrassing part of the story," recalls Dr. Remen, "is that I believed this for the next 15 years."
"What do you think now?," asked her interviewer.
"I think that that was one of the purest encounters with mystery that I have ever had in my life. It makes me wonder about who we are, what's possible for us, how this world really operates. I have no answers, but I have a lot of questions. And those questions have helped me to live better than any answers I might find."
Click here to read the full interview on Krista Tippett's "Speaking of Faith."
Tags: american public media, krista tippett, word from grace street
