Emphasis Preaching Journal

Tony Campolo tells the story of college president Robertson McQuilken, who felt a powerful call to fulfill his mission in the field of higher education. One day, however, his wife began to show symptoms of Alzheimer`s disease. Some cases of this disease are rather slow moving, but not McQuilken`s wife. In a very short time she lost much of the memory of their life together. Soon she did not even recognize him as her husband.
McQuilken made a decision. He resigned his position and gave full-time care to his wife. Some friends tried to convince him that others could take care of his wife, but not everyone could do the demanding work he was doing so well as president of the college. Furthermore, his wife did not even recognize him any more. Other friends sought to convince him that he had a high calling as a college president and should not abandon his call.
McQuilken answered his first set of critics by saying that, though his wife did not know who he was, the really important thing was that he still knew who she was. To the second set of critics he responded that, though he felt a call to higher education, there was something even more important than that call: it was a promise. He had promised his wife he would be there for her "until death do us part.
- Hasler