Dr. Ravi Zacharias is dead!

While he lived, he offered a perspective on the message of the Bible with such experience, informedness, humility and intensity that no man offered since Apostle Paul of Tarsus. The revelations that were expounded in his teachings definitely transcend the superficiality of human ingenuity. From India to Canada, Pakistan to Nigeria, people turned to God once more having heard the genuine word from a man who -by God’s permission- possessed such measure of wisdom only comparable to the Wisdom of Solomon and boldness of eloquence likeable only to the Apostle Paul. Ravi endeared my heart more to God.

He knew the nations so much he spoke to them and they listened. He was there in Cambodia, preaching a few moments away from when the Khymer Rouge invaded Phnom Penh and slaughtered men in thousands for their faiths and education. Yet he kept the faith. He was in Lebanon when the Syrian army invaded. He saw many things. Yet he was spiritually humble. Ravi debated. He debated on the topics of faith. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem reportedly once became irate with him over his probing and disruptive questions on the faiths. He made atheists “think about it”. Professor Richard Dawkins had a Nemesis. Dawkins was asked what to do to religious people whom he considered stupid for their beliefs. Dawkins, in his usual brash manner, ordered that they should be insulted, and ridiculed.

Ravi responding mildly, recommended that Dawkins should start executing his order from Saudi Arabia and in that way Dawkins needed just a one-way ticket. In one of his college debates in the United States, a student-sceptic pitched for his disbelief in identity and existence. Ravi, for the faith. “I don’t know if I exist,” the student said, shocking the guests. Ravi replied, almost immediately, asking “and whom shall I say is talking to me?” He picked lines from Hume, Hobbes, Spinoza, Ozimadiaz, Plato, Hetzel, Hengel, Marx, Satre, Nietsche and every philosopher of repute. I have no doubt his “philosophy of Christianity” would have been respected immensely by any of them had he lived in their age.

He unbelievably breathed logic into the realm of faith. Like Apostle Paul, he was skilled in the knowledge of all philosophies of the known (Palestinian and European) world: the Greeks, the Romans and the Jews, Ravi knew the philosophies of both east and west: Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, secularism etcetera. He picked apart these ideas and the dummies understood. “There is none like him” is a phraseology for God, Ravi would have denied being what he is for humility -the greatest apologetic to ever walk the earth. Ravi is dead, the faith, the world -foes inclusive- will greatly miss him.

Ravi. Au Revoir.