Hope Beyond Cure

"Two devastating words left me feeling hopeless and lost. Tumour and incurable."

So begins David McDonald's desperate search for hope through the unflinching gaze of his terminal cancer diagnosis. His dreams shattered, his family distraught, his body wracked by chemotherapy and his faith severely tested, this Christian pastor went back to the Bible to find out for certain: Is God there? Does he care? When there is no cure, does God still offer hope?

This third edition includes a carer's perspective by Fiona McDonald, David's wife. You can also purchase this book in paperback.

About the author

David McDonald had been in Christian ministry for more than two decades—as a pastor of Crossroads Christian Church and a chaplain to the Brumbies Super Rugby Team—until a diagnosis of stage-4 lung cancer shook his world. He is surviving cancer and taking daily targeted oral chemotherapy. Dave is married to Fiona and they have four adult children and four grandchildren. Dave now lives on the mid north coast of NSW and enjoys beach life. He is the pastor at Salt Community Church in Bonny Hills and a mentor to ministers throughout Australia. Dave blogs regularly at macarisms.com. 

Recommendations

Because we’re all cancer sufferers or potential cancer sufferers, we all need this book for our present or our future. Dave doesn’t pull his punches about his illness; yet he does point to hope. Because it’s written from personal experience, not an ivory tower, it’s always real and never trite. This book will make you smile, might make you cry, and may just change your life. Make sure you read it.

—Carl Laferton, Senior Editor, The Good Book Company

This book deals with issues close to my heart, since my mother died of cancer earlier this year. My only complaint is that it was not published a year earlier—it would have been the perfect book for her to read. Hope Beyond Cure is a moving and deeply encouraging combination of truth, mature reflection and hope, communicated by someone who has known the pit of despair. Read this book and give it away. Its contents should be shared with every person facing death—which, in the end, includes us all.

—Constantine R Campbell, Associate Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago

Although David is a theologian and pastor, he writes as a fellow human haemorrhaging emotional and physical pain. I’ve seen firsthand how inoperable cancer stole his future and threatened his hope. If you are doing it tough with illness or hardship, or you just have questions and doubts regarding Jesus, this book is for you. It will not give you pithy, cold and callous answers, but an insightful personal reflection toward real hope beyond cure.

—Richard Chin, National Director, Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students

No matter what you believe in, when struck down in your prime by a terminal illness, the reality of our human mortality can hit like a tsunami. Hope Beyond Cure is a remarkable story of courage, resilience, belief and the power of faith. David McDonald’s story will not only inspire you to rise up against your own affliction and never give up, but more importantly it will challenge you to look beyond the here and now for strength, healing and peace.

—Rob Clarke, Business consultant and former Chief Operating Officer at Australian Rugby Union

I admire the honesty with which David talks about his journey with terminal cancer. We get not only insight into his tears and fears but the reactions of those around him as well. He also talks honestly about how his cancer challenged his faith—with 1500 students praying for you, it can be hard to grasp why you are not immediately cured! Faith in a miracle can lead to irrational avoidance of reality and pain for the family—but David never falls into that trap. This is a warm and honest story of hope, love and faith on a journey filled with uncertainties.

—Prof. Bruce Robinson, Professor of Medicine and cancer researcher, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital