Hallucinations -- Part 1

Pastor told us the story of when he was visiting a shut-in shortly before he died. The man asked "if he needed a beer." As it was mid-morning, and as he was there for a communion visit, Pastor politely turned down the offer. But it turned out that the shut-in was asking Pastor whether "that other guy" needed a beer. Pastor didn't argue about the non-existence of "the other guy" but just said that he was fine and that that other guy didn't want a beer right now.

Gary was once visiting Lu shortly before he died. Lu was happy to be "going home" soon. Now, what is a pastor normally going to think about a man in hospice who's talking about "going home"? Nope, it wasn't that. Lu thought he was back in the service in Europe, and that the war was over and that he was being shipped back home soon. Rather than arguing about the location and the occasion of the visit, Gary just ministered to the man where he was, telling him about Jesus and about the relief of "going home" and getting there safely because of God's grace.

Pastor also had mentioned in the past that it is possible that those on medications and those nearing death might be seeing things in the spiritual realm that the rest of us cannot see. Both Gary and Pastor had mentioned previously how useless it is to argue with people in this situation, and that the important thing is doing what needs to be done for them.