Ben Sasse on faith, America and what matters most in life
( NewsNation ) — Former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse is facing a terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer . But the former Republican senator from Nebraska isn’t retreating from the public eye or turning inward.
Instead, he’s using what time he has left to reflect: on faith, on the state of America and on what ultimately matters in life.
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In recent interviews with outlets like The New York Times and CBS News, Sasse has offered a strikingly candid and, at times, deeply theological perspective on mortality, one that has resonated widely online.
“It’s weird to be in your early 50s and get a terminal diagnosis and people, all of a sudden, act like you’re 93 or 94 and you have a lot of wisdom,” Sasse said. “I don’t know that I have a lot of wisdom. But I have a lot of things that I think we should be reflecting on together.”
Faith in the face of death
Sasse, a longtime Christian, has spoken openly about how his diagnosis has clarified his beliefs and stripped away illusions.
“Death is wicked. Death is evil. Death is not how it’s supposed to be,” he said. “And me getting a cancer diagnosis is pretty small … on the grand scheme of things, but it’s a touch of grace because it forces me to tell the truth.”
“The lie I want to tell myself is that I’m the center of everything and … that I can atone for my own brokenness. I can’t,” he continued.
Even in the face of great suffering, Sasse describes a deep trust in God’s sovereignty.
“There are no maverick molecules in the universe,” he said, reflecting his belief that nothing happens outside of God’s providence.
Family, time and what really matters
Sasse has spoken movingly about the personal cost of his diagnosis, especially what he may miss in his children’s lives.
“I want to walk my daughters down the aisle when they get married. That’s not likely to be,” he said. “That’s not the math of my time card.”
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Of his teenage son, he added, “I want to put my arm on his shoulder … but he’s going to be fine. There will be other wise men and women in his life.”
At the same time, Sasse expresses deep gratitude for what he has in his life.
“I’m incredibly blessed,” he said. “My wife Melissa, we’ve been married 31 years … she’s tough and gritty and theologically rooted.”
A critique of modern America, a broken Congress
Even as he confronts death, Sasse has not shied away from diagnosing what he sees as deeper problems in American life.
“I don’t think our current politics are driving what’s happening,” he said. “I think it’s mostly an echo of what’s happening.”
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He argues that the real crisis is cultural and community-based.
“What have a really thin, shallow community right now … unless people know the thickness of their local community, it’s hard to make sense of what national politics are for.”
That breakdown, he says, fuels division.
“You can’t do things together as Americans if you think other Americans are the enemy,” he said in 2021 after the January 6 riots.
Sasse was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict President Trump of incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial.
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Sasse also warned that political leaders are failing to address massive technological and economic shifts.
“We are living through a digital revolution that is both glorious and horrific,” he said.
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“Anything that can be reduced to a series of steps … is going to become really, really cheap really fast.”
Yes, he argues, Washington is not keeping up.
“Congress is not wrestling with big or important questions right now. … The disruption of work … should be front and center. Congress doesn’t even know how to have that conversation,” he said.
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For Sasse, one of the clearest lessons of his diagnosis is a reordering of his priorities.
“The best thing you can do is being called mom or dad … neighbor, friend,” he said. “Governor, senator, those are ways to serve. They should never be the top calling.”
Ben Sasse’s message for America
Despite the gravity of his condition, Sasse’s outlook is not defined by despair.
“Let’s go with providence, prayer and a miracle drug,” he said, referencing the clinical trial treatment that has significantly reduced his tumors.
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When asked how he reconciles leaving behind his beloved family, Sasse said while he is deeply saddened to think of missing his children’s milestones, he “absolutely” believes God has a plan.
“But it’s not a surprise to God,” he said.
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