The Other Argentinian

Born 300 km Apart

Born some 300 kilometres south of Messi's home town of Rosario and fifty-three years earlier was a spiritual giant by the name of Luis Palau.

(The image of the two Argentinians above was 'drawn' by artificial intelligence website DALL.E with the instruction: "a realistic oil painting of Lionel Messi and Luis Palau watching a football match, facing away from the camera.")

Born in 1934 in Buenos Aires Luis became a Christian at the age of 12. But his life's work as a global evangelist, eventually preaching to millions of people (by one estimate around 1 billion in his lifetime), began when his mother urged her son to take the Gospel to nearby towns that had no churches. 

Slow off the mark, Luis answered his mother with "Mom, I'm waiting for the call." 

A mother's wise reply set Luis on his life's work as an evangelist. "The call? The call went out two thousand years ago, Luis! The Lord's waiting for your answer! You're not waiting for his call!"

Helped by Billy Graham, Luis Palau became an evangelist, preaching the Gospel to vast congregations across the world. 

His only connection to the other Argentinian, apart from national origin, was football stadiums: Messi played in them while Palau preached in them.

"If I've ever impressed anybody" he told journalist Lee Strobel, I hope it's because they realized I'm not very special. I hope they say, "If God can use an ordinary person like Luis, why can't he use me?"

 DALL.E "draw Luis Palau preaching in a football stadium 

in the style of impressionism"

The Greatest Test

The greatest test of any man rarely comes in life, and most often arrives at death. 

At the age of 84 and in good health, Luis Palau discovered one day that he had stage 4 lung cancer which was to take his life a few year later.

Here came the greatest test of all. Palau had preached heaven and hell to millions, but how would he handle the valley of the shadow of death personally? Journalist Lee Strobel spoke to him not long before his death.

The initial diagnosis disturbed him, or rather Satan used it to disturb him, "Palau, you have preached to multitudes but what if you are one of those to whom the Lord said, 'I never knew you?'" 

These attacks were overcome "through prayer and studying the Bible, especially chapter 7-10 of Hebrews, which affirm that Jesus appeared once for all to do away with sin." 

The Change a terminal diagnosis made

When Palau shared the fact of his diagnosis with unbelievers they often changed the subject, "Hey, some weather we're having."

But in his heart he found good things were happening. For one, he began to read the Bible with open eyes underlying every mention of heaven. He started thinking much more about heaven, attempting to visualize what it would be like. 

He began imagining conversations with his dad who died when he was ten, wanting to tell him what a legacy he had left for his son. 

"Who do you especially want to see in heaven?" 

"Of course, the very face of Jesus, my Saviour." 

"And I want to spend time with my mother and with all the great heroes of the faith, Augustine, Wesley, Whitfield, Moody." 

"Think of this: we'll never sin again. We'll never have to say 'O God forgive me.'"  

And if Luis could send a message to fellow Christians across the world, what would it be? "Take a risk - tell others about the good news of Christ."

And to those who do not yet believe? 

"Don't be stupid! Don't pass up what God is offering out of his love and grace. Why embrace evil when goodness beckons? Why turn your back on heaven and chose hell? Don't miss the party that God has waiting for you in heaven!"

Excerpts taken from The Case for Heaven, Lee Strobel