Apologist and author Ravi Zacharias revealed Thursday he has a rare form of malignant cancer at the end of his spine and is “trusting the Lord” in the midst of pain and trial.

The cancer, he wrote, was discovered during back surgery three weeks ago. 

“The surgery was considered a success, and the surgeon felt it was a strong reconstruction,” Zacharias wrote in a message posted on his ministry’s website. “However, since the surgery, I have faced very severe pain, so intense in the night, especially, that I have been unable to sleep.

“While we have assumed this pain was a natural consequence of the surgery, we have learned in the past week that a biopsy taken during the procedure revealed that I have a malignant tumor on my sacrum – a very rare cancer called Sarcoma.” 

The sacrum is the triangular bone at the base of the spine. 

“[W]e now know this is the cause of my extreme pain,” he wrote. “In the past few days, we have been meeting with specialists to determine the next course of action. They will wait until I am fully healed from the back surgery, and in 4-5 weeks, will begin treatment to shrink the tumor.” 

Hi Friends, I’ve recently learned I have a malignant tumor on my sacrum—a very rare cancer called Sarcoma. We are trusting the Lord in this, and have already seen evidence of His hand. Margie and I and our family value your prayers. Read more: