Ravi Zacharias was an unknown when I was studying at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). It was 1984 I believe. Many world renown speakers came through TEDS speaking in the chapel services. I was in attendance when a young Ravi Z. took to the pulpit for what would be a 3 day engagement. I had heard some of the world's best theologians, many who were more adept at thinking and writing than they were speaking. Ravi was different. I was totally engaged by his brilliance, his clear elocution of a language not his native tongue. His illustrations were profound and his recitations from literature, some at length while he was speaking, were from memory I learned later. Ravi possessed what is called eidetic imagery or more popularly, a photographic memory.
On his last day it was announced that he would be meeting in a class room with anyone who wanted to come and chat further about his lecture or anything else for that matter. There were perhaps 7 students present with the one who would become world famous preaching to hundreds of thousands, engaging with world leaders, and sharing the gospel of Christ with some of the most notorious Imams known to man. This was truly a unique man gifted by the Almighty--for His purposes.
When word came that Ravi's days were numbered I pleaded with the Lord to spare this man who was so skilled in the wisdom of the Word. When I learned Ravi had left this earth, I wondered why someone like him dies while evil and wicked men live on spreading their nastiness to their last breath.
"My ways are not your ways..." we are told in Scripture. True but unsatisfactory to this mortal soul. Then I read the unfolding of a life of heinous wickedness. Crimes against humanity, against his wife, his children, the millions whose lives he touched, and ultimately, against the Lord Almighty. Why Lord?
Silence...
As a teacher and preacher of the inspired, infallible, inerrant, authoritative Word of God since the latter 70's, I tend to have conversation with the Living God when another well known Christian leader falls. I understand the doctrine of a sin nature perhaps better than many. I've lived with one for the past 67 years... I know the Bible better than many part of which is gaining a keen sense of the less than inspiring quality of men the Lord has used throughout history. The Lord is not limited by the intrinsic qualities of a person when He wants something done. Even redeemed man is still encumbered by the "old man" and will be until the corruptible is shed and replaced by the incorruptible as the apostle Paul tells the Church at Corinth. I understand all this, but still...
Ravi Zacharias was one of a kind. How can someone so studied, so committed, so practiced, so skilled, so imbued with the Holy Spirit to do such great things while living a life of abject debauchery and deceit at the same time words of Life are are being used to usher untold numbers of people destined for Hell to Life Everlasting through the "true knowledge of Him Who saved us..."
Jeremiah speaks from the pages of Scripture: ""The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately corrupt; Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)
Again--I KNOW the Bible well and those words from the prophet are etched on my mind reminding ME of my frailty. But this was Ravi, Ravi Zacharias, HE WAS DIFFERENT!
"Different how?" The Spirit questions my protests. You mean different like Abraham the greatest of the Old Testament faithful, and patriarch of the nation of Israel? Abraham, who pawned off his wife to king Abimelech so that he might be treated favorably?
Maybe Ravi was different, different like King David? Now there was a man of God. Even God Himself declares David to be a "Man after God's own heart..." (1Sam. 13) And what a resumé David amassed lusting after Bathsheba the wife of Uriah one of David's loyal warriors. After stealing Uriah's wife while he is fighting a war to protect the King, David schemes bringing Uriah home on leave certain he will take advantage of the reprieve from battle to sleep with his wife. Oh but his loyalty to David and his fellow soldiers on the battle field compelled him to sleep out side his house instead of with his wife. Yes David was different. The man after God's own heart, then sends Uriah's order of execution back with Uriah to give to Joab, the commander, who sets Uriah at the front line and then pulls back the troops so Uriah is killed. Yes David was different...
But, but, Ravi WAS different. Different how? Maybe different like Simon Peter, who was ready to take on the Roman Army in Gethsemane when they came for Jesus. Unlike the others, Simon was different attacking with sword removing the ear of one of the soldiers. And only hours later, Simon denied that he had ever seen or heard of the Nazarene, not once but three times...Yes, he was definitely different.
But sadly, Ravi was no different than you or me. At his core, he was just another sinner saved by grace and set apart to speak to millions of the wonderful grace of God by which he stood in the presence of crowds doing what his Creator had equipped him to do.
--Doing what His creator had equipped him to do.--
He was possessed with a fallen nature that was redeemed by the grace of His Savior just like you and me. At the end of the day Ravi Z. was just another lump of clay masterfully fashioned on the Potter's wheel to do wondrous and mighty things set forth in the mind and plans of the One who made him.
Where does that leave us? All of us who were awed by Ravi's gifts need not disparage those gifts as if his sin negates the power of those God-given gifts. Ravi's sin does nothing to invalidate or even diminish the truth for truth is not validated by one's ability to apply that truth. Truth is true because it is true having originated from the Truth Giver.
And Ravi Z. warts and all, was compelled to speak forth that truth under the inspiration of the 3rd Person of the Triune Godhead. And the Kingdom of Heaven has been advanced and I believe will continue to be advanced because of it and all to the glory of God whose Kingdom it is even in spite of the flawed nature of the messenger. Thanks be to God. May I learn and heed the tragic lessons of the hazards of greatness.
Thank you, PB. I was thinking about Ravi this morning and wondering the same things. I really appreciate this piece.
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