Michael Spencer’s death on April 5, 2010 hit me hard. I cried when we heard he had cancer. And when news came that he was receiving hospice care–that cancer treatment was no longer effective–I sobbed again. Incidentally, I work in hospice care as a bereavement specialist. It’s sacred work. And I knew that Michael would be offered comfort in the final act of his life… death. And I’ve cried a bunch in the days since his death.
Michael, the Internet Monk, was a blogger and podcaster I have followed for several years. He was with my family in our journey out of vocational ministry. It wasn’t an easy time; I was confused and disoriented. He spoke grace and peace to us in that crazy, comforting, southern drawl. There were many times–when my wife and I were listening to the Internet Monk podcast–when we said, “Yes! That’s it!” He had a way of making me love the Savior more. I’ll miss his accent, snarky commentary, and love for Christ. I’m thankful that I got to be a part of his life, virtually speaking, for so long. I have a greater love for Christ and the gospel because of him. And I’m sad.
Michael wasn’t afraid to take on the teachers of the law (a.k.a. Reformo-bloggers). He stood for grace and for patience. I always felt he stood up for the little people, those with no voice. He was a theologian and a gospel-advocate. I’m sure I saw what Jesus must have been like in Michael Spencer. Sure, he was human. And Christ was there too. A lot of Jesus. The story of redemption.
I am amazed at how prolific he was. When I heard he had begun writing a book (Amazon link) I was thrilled. And I couldn’t believe how quickly he finished it. Chapter after chapter, some editing, working on the title… all in semi-secrecy. And it was done. Or he had handed it off to his editor. Whether blog or book, the guy could churn out material. Great material.
How did he come up with “The Post-Evangelical Wilderness?” I wasn’t looking for that kind of language, but it perfectly framed what I was feeling. “Jesus-shaped spirituality” was another unexpected answer to an unspoken evangelical personal-problem. And it was water for my thirsty soul.
I’m wrecked. Wrecked that I lost Michael. And I didn’t even know him in the traditional sense. But I’m starting to own it. He’s my iMonk. He’s my brother in Christ. I know, after scouring the interwebs for iMonk-commentary, that there are a lot of you who have had a similar experience. I’ll miss him terribly.
