66 THE FAITHFUL READER tion. Patrick, the professional helper and support group leader, emphasizes the meeting place as a reminder that the attendees, cancer survivors and sufferers alike, are deeply loved as they sit in Christ’s literal heart. This scene is narrated through the sarcastic lens of young Hazel, and the tone and content of this chapter -rather, what is lacking -brings sorrow to the reflective Christian reader. The group, sitting in a church and gathered in the center of a cross, is encouraged by Patrick to find purpose in carpe diem - life in the moment. He calls on the name of Jesus for prayer and remembrance, a token plea, neglecting the actual Gospel of grace rooted in the inerrant Word of God. Despite their proximity to all that would point them to true hope, Hazel and Augustus remain misguided in their search for the meaning of their suffering. While meeting in the so-called hall of Jesus, Patrick does very little to offer Gospel truth and its application to the group’s attendees. The author does not include Patrick’s response to Augustus’ fear of oblivion, rather, records Hazel’s monologue challenging Augustus to simply ignore the inevitability of human oblivion. Patrick, the professional counselor supposed to provide encouragement and direction, loses the opportunity to present sufferers with real hope. Christian readers are left to wonder how different the book may have unfolded had Patrick chosen to share the Gospel. Gospel Reorientation We do not learn much about Patrick. The reader is introduced to him as the facilitator of an open-ended support group for teenagers diagnosed with various forms of cancer. New members (like Augustus) join the group regularly, while seasoned members (like Hazel) come-and-go as they cope with the severity of their illness. Everything about the group presents Patrick with considerable possibilities for reaping a harvest through the true source of hope (Matthew 9:35-38). Yet, Hazel shares that Patrick resorts to recounting, “for the thousandth time his depressingly miserable life story,” as he begins the group each week. Once upon a time, Patrick was also dying from cancer, but survived to adulthood and earned a master’s degree. But what Patrick believes to be a story that instills hope, the
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