Fans Rally Around Progressive Christian Author Placed In Medically Induced Coma
Friends and fans of the popular progressive Christian author Rachel Held Evans are rallying around her family after receiving news that Evans has been placed in a medically induced coma.
Last Sunday, the 37-year-old asked her substantial Twitter following for prayers, saying that she was in the hospital with the flu and a urinary tract infection. She said she was having a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics doctors had given her.
On Friday, her husband Dan Evans posted a statement to the writer’s website revealing that she was “exhibiting unexpected symptoms.” Doctors found that her brain was experiencing “constant seizures.” As they determine how to best treat her, they placed her in a medically induced coma. The writer was still in the ICU and in a coma on Tuesday, according to her husband.
Evans is a Christian writer from Dayton, Tennessee, who has authored several popular books about her journey away from conservative evangelical Christianity and towards a more progressive theology that is committed to feminism, inclusive of LGBTQ Christians, and accepting of doubt. Evans now attends an Episcopal church.
Before her health took a turn for the worse, Evans was eagerly tweeting about her plans to co-host a progressive Christian conference in October. The Denver conference is a gathering for people who have walked away from conservative religious traditions and may not feel like they currently have a spiritual home.
As news of her illness spread, friends and fans shared reflections about the impact Evans has had on their lives. Some women wrote about how Evans inspired them to attend seminary. Others talked about how Evans’ honest writing about wrestling with doubt helped guide them through their own periods of deconstructing their childhood faiths. Fans also talked about how Evans’ progressive convictions helped them realize conservative evangelicals don’t have a monopoly on Christianity.
I'm seeing a stream of tweets from women saying, "I wouldn't be preaching if not for @rachelheldevans. I wouldn't be in seminary if not for her." (I'm one of them) God, thank you for Rachel's work in raising up your daughters to serve your church. Heal her now. #prayforRHE
— Becky Castle Miller (@bcastlemiller) April 19, 2019
I'm holding space for .@rachelheldevans and praying she has a full recovery. She was the first person to tell me it's okay to leave the evangelical church and find healthier faith spaces. #PrayForRHE
— Ms. Charlotte (@charlotteirene8) April 19, 2019
I have been deeply blessed by the ministry and writing of @rachelheldevans, particularly when I was in my 20s and early 30s struggling for a better spiritual path. I pray the Lord Our Healer fully restore Rachel, and I believe God can and will hear our prayers. Amen. #PrayforRHE
— Brittney Cooper (@ProfessorCrunk) April 20, 2019
Rachel changed me through her writing, created a door where there was none, gave me language & imagination for a faith that wasn't marked by my fear. & when she wrote Searching for Sunday, she led me back to church again. Thinking of her and holding her close today. #PrayForRHE
— Hannah Evans (@hannahschaef) April 19, 2019
Been trying to process and pray for Rachel Held Evans today.
Her book, “Year of Biblical Womanhood” was the first even remotely progress book that I ever read. It helped me have a larger view of and love for scripture. Praying for her healing. #prayforRHE— Brandi Miller (@BrandiNico) April 20, 2019
Evans’ friends have started a GoFundMe page dedicated to helping her family pay for medical costs related to her treatment. The campaign has raised close to $70,000 in one day. They also started a prayer chain on Twitter, tweeting out prayers for the writer under the hashtag #PrayForRHE. The hashtag was trending nationally on Twitter on Friday, Religion News Service reported.
I love Rachel Held Evans so much. God, please bring her protection and healing. Please bring comfort and peace to her husband and their two precious little ones who need their mother. Please bring wisdom to her doctors and help her recover. This world needs her. #PrayforRHE
— Matthew Vines (@VinesMatthew) April 19, 2019
Gracious God,
You give us the absurd dignity of prayer, to cry to the void and beg you to act. Please heal and be near to our friend @rachelheldevans that you comfort her dearest humans, and give wisdom to her medical team. And peace, peace, peace to all who love her #PrayforRHE— Kate Bowler (@KatecBowler) April 19, 2019
It's Easter Monday, God. Didn't you get the message? My friend Rach is supposed to tweet us now and say she is better. We won't stop praying and we know you are able, please - Jesus - hold her and strengthen her in body and soul. @rachelheldevans #PrayForRHE
— Reverend Jes Kast (@RevJesKast) April 22, 2019
Some pointed out that even those who were more skeptical or uncertain about the concept of prayer seemed moved by the call to pray for Evans.
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I can think of few people who are such examples of what I imagine a healthy Christian would look like as @rachelheldevans. So, I've been on my knees in intercessory prayer that I'm not sure I believe in this morning. #PrayForRHE
— Science Mike (@mikemchargue) April 19, 2019
I don’t exactly know what praying is or isn’t anymore, but I know that @rachelheldevans is a gift. And I can feel that every cell in my body wants her well, so I’m actively agreeing with them. However you pray or however you don’t, let’s all #PrayForRHE.
— Jamie Lee Finch (@jamieleefinch) April 19, 2019
This is the beauty and power of Rachel’s ministry; that a bunch of church misfits are gathering to pray for her because we love her so, even if we don’t consider ourselves pray-ers anymore. She abounds in grace and love and wisdom. Lord bring healing. Lord be near. #PrayForRHE
— Lindsay Smith (@lvsmithauthor) April 19, 2019
Perhaps the best example of @rachelheldevans impact on the world is the fact that a bunch of people who at one point held faith and Christian community at arms length are now here together praying for her. #prayforRHE
— Ashley Baker (@ashiebaker) April 19, 2019
The calls to pray were echoed in conservative Christian circles ― including by some who have publicly disagreed with Evans’ theological convictions.
. @rachelheldevans and I are, as you know, theological opposites, and we’ve debated each other on all kinds of stuff over the years.
She needs our prayers right now.
Conservatives, progressives, centrists, everybody: let’s pray for RHE. https://t.co/B8gc6eTAWI— Russell Moore (@drmoore) April 20, 2019
I’ve scrapped intensely with the progressive Christian writer Rachel Held Evans, but I’m grieved to hear that she is in the hospital in grave condition this Easter weekend. Please pray for her, and her family!
— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) April 19, 2019
Let’s get this straight. We don’t have to change our stand to kneel & pray. Good Lord. Just pray, for crying out loud. RHE needs PRAYER! If we’re only going to pray for people we line up with doctrinally, we’re going to have the shortest quiet times in the history of the church.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) April 23, 2019
Evans’ husband responded to the outpouring on Tuesday.
“Thank you again to everyone who has donated their time and resources and offered their thoughts and prayers,” Dan Evans wrote. “Rachel would have a really beautiful way to say all of this.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.