Greg Hewlett, an elder at our church, died yesterday morning from cancer. I only knew him about six months but in those months he made an enormous impact on my life (as he seemed to do for everyone who had the privilage of knowing him).
Greg’s death makes my heart ache for Christ’s restoration of this world from sin. It is sin that caused the disharmonious cancer cells to consume my friend. It is sin that brought death into the world in the first place. What’s worse is that my sin – things in my responsibility – has contributed to the continual schism between what was meant to be and what is. I in my own small way am responsible for Greg’s decay and death.
My comfort is in Christ’s forgiveness and restoration – two things that are irrevocably linked. Greg brought wisdom, beauty, comfort, strength, and peace into this world (all of that in just the short time I knew him) – and if I am partly responsible for his death then I will be sure and be responsible for his life and legacy.
Moments like these highlight my conviction that language – while useful – ultimately fails to accurately express and communicate reality. In other words it is really hard to write a fitting benidiction. Rest in peace brother. May we meet again.
January 18, 2011
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3 comments:
I grieve to hear of your friend's death Jacob. Take comfort that there is a Word that speaks reality itself, a Speaker who does not lisp and grunt as we do in our weakness.
Was this the same man who gave the message when we were in Dallas? What I remember about that message was that in Christ we don't just have to accept death, but we conquer death. Praise God that He has so much more for us than this decaying world.
Mom,
Greg was the one who gave the sermon when y'all were in town.
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