A cell phone video of students serenading a Nashville high school teacher, who is in the middle of his fight against cancer, has gone viral.
Tim McGraw posted on his Facebook page a 56-second video of Ben Ellis watching from his window of more than 400 students, parents and faculty sing a worship song.
As of Monday afternoon, the video has been shared more than 390,000 times on Facbeook.
Ellis has been the Bible and Latin teacher at Christ Presbyterian Academy since 2008. His influence as a teacher went well beyond the classroom.
"He'll stop you in the middle of the hallway and check on how you're doing," CPA Senior Land Teller told NewsChannel 5. "He always said it is about loving and glorifying God."
He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer last December and has been working on and off.
Recently, Ellis' condition gotten worse and decided to discontinue his treatment after learning about tough news the night before.
In response to the news last Wednesday, the entire high school missed one class and boarded on buses to visit Ellis at his house.
Teller played guitar as hundreds of people crowded outside Ellis' house and sang several of his favorite worship songs.
You could see a frail Ellis with his wife by his side worshiping in his own way. He may have been weak, but he was strong mentally and spiritually.
"I've been in a lot of places and a lot of worship settings and I've never experienced something that rich, pure and true," Headmaster Nate Morrow recalled.
"We really wanted to honor him and honor what kind of impact he's had on our school," Teller added.
School officials are not releasing the type of cancer he is facing.
The headmaster asks for continued prayer during this time.
