The Ultimate Donor: Replacing Your Sick Heart with the Heart of Christ

By Jack Anderson

Using heart transplantation as a metaphor, The Ultimate Donor illustrates what God has done for humanity through the death of Jesus. The paths of becoming a follower of Christ and a heart transplant recipient are similar. The Ultimate Donor navigates the journey from hearing the devastating news of having a sick heart and needing a transplant to receiving a new healthy heart to living the post-transplant life. As with heart transplant recipients, followers of Christ experience times of diagnosis (knowledge of their sick heart), transplantation (replacing their sick heart with the heart of Christ) and living the post-transplant life (the disciplined life with their new heart). Unfortunately, every heart transplant demands the death of a donor. Fortunately, there is an Ultimate Donor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385009121

Jack Anderson

Jack Anderson is the author of the viral internet serial 'Has Anyone Heard of The Left/Right Game?', which has since been adapted into a hit QCode podcast. He lives with his wife in Sheffield. The Grief Doctor is his debut novel.

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Copyright © 2023 Jack Anderson.

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WestBow Press

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0910-7 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0911-4 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-0912-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023919005

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/20/2023

For:

-Brenda.

-Ardenia & Kamen.

-Jack & Shyann.

-My two brothers, Andy and Ben and their families.

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Excerpts from THE HEART HEALERS by James Forrester. Copyright 2015 by James Forrester. Reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press. All Rights Reserved.

Mere Christianity by CS Lewis, copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1942 CS Lewis Pte Ltd Extract used with permission.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

PART I: DIAGNOSIS

Chapter 1:   The Heart of the Matter

Chapter 2:   Heart of Stone

Chapter 3:   Can You Do Something with This Heart?

PART II: TRANSPLANT

Chapter 4:   Advent: The Weight of the Wait

Chapter 5:   Someone Has to Die

Chapter 6:   Christ, Communion, and Cannibalism

PART III: POSTTRANSPLANT LIFE

Chapter 7:    Brothers and Sisters

Chapter 8:   Suppressing Rejection

Chapter 9:   Chronic Christianity

Conclusion

Appendix A: A Concise History of Heart Transplantation

Appendix B: Ben’s Transplant Story

Endnotes

Works Cited

Acknowledgments

The inspiration for this book began seventeen years ago today. That day, my youngest brother received a heart transplant. Ben’s gifted heart continues to do well, providing life one beat at a time (approximately one hundred thousand times a day). A lot has happened since then, and I have some people I want to acknowledge regarding the completion of this book.

First, I want to thank my wife and best friend, Brenda. She has listened to me ramble off ideas, quotes, passages, articles, and songs for far too long. She’s heard me talk about how amazing the heart is and the stories behind the marvel of transplantation. She has been encouraging and helpful in editing the manuscript through the years. I can’t express enough how much I love and appreciate her in my life. God has truly blessed me.

I also want to thank my children, Ardenia and Jack III, for allowing their dad to work on a book. They too listened to me talk about new thoughts and insights as I worked on this project. I’m so thankful God blessed us with these two amazing children.

My two brothers, Andy and Ben, shared with me their thoughts and experiences dealing with heart surgeries and recovery. They also heard me go on and on about various topics covered in this book. I’m blessed to have them as brothers. Mom and Dad brought home my two closest and longest friends from the hospital.

From the outset, I knew who I wanted to design the artwork for the cover: Tal Burdine. He loved the idea and, without hesitation, wanted to work on it. Thank you, Tal, for your input and creativity for the cover. He is so talented, and his friendship is priceless.

Thank you to everyone who took time to read my manuscript and give me feedback. Their responses and input proved invaluable.

Finally, thanks to the individuals and families who have made (and will make) the decision to be donors or allow their deceased loved ones to be donors. Some people make that decision prior to death. Some spouses, parents, and children are the decision makers. Too many people die waiting for a donor. Thank you for your act of love and offering new life to someone.

—Jack Anderson Jr.

December 19, 2022

Introduction

Ben has a brother.

Those were the words of a procurement nurse to my sister-in-law, Tammi. We were in the waiting room. My brother Ben was in the operating room, receiving a heart transplant. I happened to be sitting next to Tammi and overheard the conversation.

Tammi said, I know, Ben has two brothers.

The nurse then informed her that Ben now had another brother. The donor had also donated his lungs, and a gentleman in the operating room next to Ben was receiving them. Ben, indeed, had another brother. Their common donor had united them in a special way.

The Christian tradition of which I am a part has a long history of referring to its members as brothers and sisters. To hear that Ben had another brother because they shared the same donor struck a theological chord. I contemplated Ben’s situation and experiences that culminated in the need for a heart transplant. I thought about what God has done for humanity through Jesus’s death and resurrection. The more I reflected on each, the more similarities I noticed. This book attempts to use heart transplantation as a metaphor in order to provide another perspective as to what God has done for us.

The book is divided into three parts: diagnosis (realizing and admitting our sickened state), transplant (waiting and the need for a donor), and posttransplant life (the discipline of living a changed life). This is the progression for those with sick hearts, and it follows for each of us with sin-sick hearts as well. I know all metaphors break down at some point, but I hope you can appreciate the comparison and see the value in doing so.

Each chapter has a soundtrack. Music has always been a part of my life, and I’ve purchased several movie soundtracks. I asked myself, Why not include a soundtrack for the book? Certain songs spoke to me as I worked on writing chapters—songs that helped set the mood or expressed an emotion. Included at the beginning of each chapter is a list of songs that fit that chapter’s theme. This is my list. You may think of more songs. Trust me, there are many. I had to limit myself. Some are Christian songs performed by Christian artists, but not all are. The lyrics, music, and voices differ. Compare Lincoln Durham’s painful, gritty, and ominous Rage and Fire and Brimstone and Lauren Daigle’s smooth and hopeful Come Alive (Dry Bones). I encourage you to comprise your own list for each chapter.

As I researched the material for this book, I found the history of heart transplantation to be extremely fascinating. To make the most of the metaphor, I suggest you begin by reading A Concise History of Heart Transplantation in the appendix.

It is my hope and prayer that, within the covers of this work, you might see and appreciate even more what God has done for us through Christ Jesus. May you recognize your sin-sick heart. May you be encouraged while waiting and searching. May you rejoice and celebrate new life. May you persevere with faithfulness in your posttransplant life. In all you do, remember you have brothers and sisters all around you. Why? Because we share a common donor: the Ultimate Donor.

Part I

DIAGNOSIS

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CHAPTER 1

The Heart of the Matter

The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had

become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart

was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had

made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

—Genesis 6:5–6

The heart is deceitful above all things and

beyond cure. Who can understand it?

—Jeremiah 17:9

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Chapter 1 Soundtrack

Folsom Prison Blues

Johnny Cash

For What It’s Worth

Buffalo Springfield

Not Dark Yet

Bob Dylan

Rage and Fire and Brimstone

Lincoln Durham

Stones in My Passway

John Mellencamp

Beginning Exercise

I know you’re comfortable and ready to start reading, but I’d like you to take a minute or two and do something. Feel your pulse. Place your fingers on your wrist or put your hand on your chest. Better yet, if you have a stethoscope, grab it and listen to your heart.

Did you feel the pressure?

Did you feel the thump?

Did you hear it at work?

Enclosed in your chest behind your sternum and among a few other organs, your heart is pumping blood throughout your body. You may have a scar (or more) on your chest because sometime before now, your heart needed a bit of repair. But there it is pumping away. Then again, maybe your heart is not pumping like it should. Maybe you’re suffering with a heart problem, and your heartbeat is faint.

The Problem Isn’t Low Sodium

Amy Silverstein was a twenty-three-year-old law student when she experienced tightness in her chest and a couple of episodes of passing out. Her doctor noticed her blood pressure was low and encouraged her to eat more salt. That did not help. A year later, she found herself back in her doctor’s office with additional symptoms, including difficulty breathing. It was then discovered that she had an enlarged heart and was suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF). Low blood pressure was not her problem, and increasing her salt intake was not the cure. Had that been the case, she would have been elated. Amy had a damaged heart. About her struggle just to walk to her appointment with the cardiologist, she wrote:

It was in this moment that I experienced for the first time in my life what it was like to be disempowered by illness; I was not able to move as fast as I wanted or needed—my twenty-four-old body wouldn’t let me—and if I pushed through limitations with my usual stubborn strength, I feared it might cause my heart to give out.¹

Those familiar with the writings of the apostle Paul may find Amy’s confession reminiscent of Paul’s statement and rhetorical question:

What a wretched man I am!

Who will rescue me from this body of death?²

Paul quickly provides the answer: God has rescued us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You see, Amy’s problem was much worse than she thought. The initial diagnosis that her sodium intake was low would have been great news had it been correct. The truth, however, was that the problem was her heart. She eventually had to have a heart transplant. Like Amy, we all have sick hearts. And, like Amy, we all need transplants.

First of all, however, we need to realize, admit, and accept the true condition of our hearts. Why? Because, like Amy, we might be thinking, My heart isn’t that bad. I just need a little more salt. Let’s see if that’s the case or if our problem is severe.

The Meaning of Heart

There are several ways of interpreting the use and meaning of the word heart. Most often, images of romantic love are what come to mind. We may think of romance (Valentine’s Day) and the feelings we experience when we see, hear from, or think of our special someone. This is the most common way of understanding the use of the word heart.

In the Bible, however, the term has a different use. It isn’t used to describe the warm and fuzzy feelings one has for another. Instead, heart is used to describe the seat, or center, of our will. Heart is used to describe our being and character. The condition of our heart shapes us and directs our lives. So when we ask ourselves the question about the condition of our heart, we are really addressing the issue of who we are at our deepest level. And only you and God know who you are at your deepest level.

The Genesis passage quoted at the beginning of this chapter contains the first use of the Hebrew word leb (heart) found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). The story in Genesis tells us that the Lord saw that it was not goodness, kindness, or compassion that had made a home in the hearts of humankind. Evil had taken residence in the human heart.

The inclination toward evil, it seems, had taken control of the human heart/will, much like the precious ring in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. In Tolkien’s epic, the more often one wore the ring, the more intense the desire to possess it. One’s passion for possession of it would continue until they were finally consumed by it.

The heart of God’s creation had changed to do evil continuously. Violence, we are told in Genesis 6:11, was a result of humankind’s evil inclinations. God’s response to his creation’s craving to do evil was to destroy creation, sparing only a few through Noah, in whom he had found favor. Even more striking is what the Lord seems to discover following the flood. After Noah’s construction of an altar and sacrifice, the Lord states that the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth.³ While the Hebrew word used for heart, leb, is used here as it was earlier, the Septuagint⁴ used the Greek word dianoia (mind, intention, purpose) instead of kardia (heart). Professor of Hebrew Robert Alter states, The Flood story is thus enclosed by mutually mirroring reports of God’s musing on human nature, and God had recognized the evil of which man is capable.⁵

For our purpose, the word heart is not to be understood in the romantic sense but regarded as what shapes and defines our will. A biblical view informs us that our hearts give life to who