James Van Der Beek, best known for Dawson’s Creek, has died at 48 after battling stage three colorectal cancer. His family said he faced his final days “with courage, faith and grace.”
When he first heard, “It is cancer,” he admitted he went into shock. But almost immediately, something shifted. “This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said — because it forced him to change.
Before cancer, he said, “God was something I tried to fit into my life.” After cancer, he realized that connection with God “is kind of the whole point” of being here.
In a powerful video, he shared how illness stripped away his identity as actor, husband, and provider. What was left? “I am worthy of God’s love, simply because I exist. The same is true for you.”
Image: shutterstock
