When Ken's Substack article (The Big Beautiful Wall) appeared on Philip Yancey's popular blog (Hole in the Wall), among the many comments was a grieving father who shared the tragic loss of his 19-year-old-son to fentanyl poisoning. Ken reached out to Mark Bodnarczuk to hear more of a story that would underscore the tragic crisis facing our nation. Mark's academic pedigree took him from the Nazarene tradition to Wheaton College, the University of Chicago, and on to Harvard. He currently works for Stanford University in the director’s office of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory as an institutional program manager. Mark has written a book (to be released this summer) telling his son's story in detail - the all-too-easy access to counterfeit pills and fentanyl poisoning. Mark also shares how the sudden, indescribable loss has changed him - leaving him with a new understanding of his own faith, the power of forgiveness, and a grace that sustains. In this touching conversation, Mark shares the journey of his extraordinary son Thomas, the otherwise ordinary evening on the Internet that took his life, the source of the illegal, toxic drug, and his encounter with the perpetrator who would face criminal charges. Mark also encourages every American to be aware, engaged, and alerted to the need to put an end to this deadly crisis. SHOW NOTES
Ken's Substack | Philip Yancey's Blog Post - Hole in the Wall