ABSTRACT
It is your first day on the ward. You are suddenly approached by a middle-aged man who, seconds ago, was a complete stranger to you. His face is fixed, creased with overwhelming concern. He addresses you, although his eyes do not, with the words: ‘I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die’.a Slowly, his gaze rises until it meets your own. His eyes project his pain, his hopelessness and his guilt. What do you say? What do you do? How can you engage him as he begins to turn away from you, already tried and convicted by the internal demons that persecute him? How do you craft your nursing response to this man who is hell-bent on scripting his own crucifixion?
