A Humble Passion for the Truth: Remembering Dr. Alex Philip (1979-2018)

I’m missing my friend and cousin (via my wife’s side of the family), Dr. Alex Philip. Alex received a diagnosis of brain cancer 5 years ago, and just this past Sunday, passed away at the age of 39. Alex was an exceptional husband, father, teacher, and friend to many. For some of you who may keep up with my blog here, I actually got Alex to write a guest blog post on this site just two years ago. It was entitled, “What I Have: Alex Philip’s Testimony of a Cancer Diagnosis.” Can I take a few moments here, to not only honour his life, but share some key lessons we can learn from a man who had a humble passion for the truth? The picture that includes him and I below represents something I’m going to miss – deep conversations with a man who reflected these characteristics. Here’s what I saw in Alex:

1) The Healthy Blend of Humility and Passion for Truth

On the one hand, we can sometimes meet people who are passionate about things—but sometimes what they are passionate about is frivolous, and/or that passion may fail to be rooted in truth and general reality. On the other hand, we can meet others who are passionate about “truth,” but how they go about their lives can be so disrespectful of others that the only way they might be described as is prideful (because they think they know it all).

Alex avoided the two above extremes. He was someone who listened to others’ opinions respectfully, and I found willing to adapt if he thought their claims were accurate—there is both the humility and passion for truth. He worked hard at seeking the truth, he even completed a doctor of ministry at Tyndale to become an even more effective minister (see an article on his studies here).

In our day and age where you are either “right wing” or “left wing,” “in” or “out,” this approach of humility coupled with passion for truth can often be missing in our world. Rather than think we have it all, let’s consider how we might have a more humble posture towards seeking truth.

2) He humbly served others

When my wife and I first moved into our new home, we noticed our lawn was quite long and in need of a trim. We didn’t have a lawn mower at the time, so we figured we would have to wait. Alex noticed, since he helped out on our moving day. One day we came home and noticed someone had mowed our lawn. Alex had drove about 30 minutes to our home to mow our lawn, with no fanfare or hopes for recognition. We only found out he did this later.

He not only served others he might know, but sought to speak out on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves. For instance, he regularly spoke out on behalf of the unborn, seeking out ways they might be spared from abortion.

3) A passion for THE Truth, Jesus Christ

The gospel played a large role in Alex’s life. That Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we might be brought into a right relationship with God, played a prominent role in how he lived his life. We can be forgiven of our sins by God, and experience new life through Jesus. Alex not only experienced this himself, but wanted to share this life-changing message with others—and he went to great lengths so that both he and all those around him might encounter Jesus Christ. As a teacher at People’s Christian Academy, I know that he regularly equipped his students to not only understand the need for people to know Jesus, but helped them practically reach out to others with the love of Christ.

4) His identity was wrapped up in the truth of God’s Word, not merely in circumstances.

If you read the blog entry he wrote here two years ago, he admitted that sometimes it might have been tempting to wrap his identity around the cancer diagnosis. But he came to this conclusion, in his own words: “Hoping to redress this, I began to take an inventory of all that I possessed that was of more significance and more value than brain cancer. In this inventory, I turned to Ephesians 1.” And in Ephesians 1, he could affirm that he had “been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (vs.3)”, “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. (vs. 4),” and so much more.

How important it is for us that our identities are not merely wrapped up in circumstances of the day, but rather in a way that, as Alex mentioned, magnifies “God’s truth” in His Word.

Thank God for the Resurrection

There’s much more I could say about Alex, but let me close with this. The other day I was scrolling through pictures of Alex, ones with him laughing, joyous, and sharing life with family and friends. As I was looking at those pictures, a song came up on my playlist that highlighted the resurrection. How fitting. It was a cool moment. It was a reminder to me that just as I was viewing Alex with so much life and hope in those pictures from years ago, one day he and all who have received Christ’s offer of salvation will experience great joy as we receive our resurrection bodies and live eternally with Christ.  For just as Christ resurrected from the grave, we who have received Christ’s offer of salvation will also receive our resurrection bodies.

As the Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23: “20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” Maybe you’re reading this, and you don’t know Jesus personally as Lord and Saviour. Jesus died on the cross for your sins—you can receive forgiveness of sins. And Jesus not only died for our sins, but rose from the grave—and just as he defeated death, we too will defeat death as we trust Christ with our lives (Romans 8:11). Call out to Jesus today, He’s worthy of our worship. And if you would like to discuss this further, don’t hesitate to contact me – click here to do so.

I look forward to seeing you again, Alex, in our resurrection bodies one day. Thanks for modelling what it means to live a life that honours God.

If you would like to learn about how you might share some thoughts on Alex and even donate towards charities that reflects Alex’s convictions, click here.