Hug ‘Em Extra Tight

I, like our entire community, was saddened to learn of the deaths of Jonathan Bell and Kevin Camp.

These two young men were tragically killed in automobile accident last week in Montgomery County. The two were attending Brewton-Parker College and living their dream of playing college baseball.

I never had the privilege of knowing Kevin. My understanding is that he was a fine young man that was well loved. He was an outstanding athlete. He described himself on his Facebook page saying, “I’m Kevin Camp I love baseball and football. I love fishing and hunting. I love Chinese and Mexican food and I love to chill with my best friends.” That describes someone who we in the South call a “good ole boy,” with the emphasis on the word good.

I did know Jonathan. He had been in my home a few times as he was in my daughter’s group of peers. My first encounter with Jonathan was on New Years Eve as 2005 morphed into 2006. Our daughter was in the seventh grade at the time and we allowed her to have some friends over for New Years Eve.

The kids gathered in our basement to watch some movies as the clock ticked down to midnight. My wife and I were sitting in the den watching television and a young fellow we had never met came into the den plopped down in a chair and started talking to us. He acted like he knew us all of our lives.

We discovered it was Jonathan Bell. He had played on the same ball team with a classmate of our daughter and was tagging along for the evening. One could tell he never met a stranger. He liked everyone and assumed they liked him which was usually the case.

The departure of Kevin and Jonathan leaves an empty spot in the hearts of many. I cannot imagine the grief of parents who have lost a child. In my years of being a pastor I have witnessed much grief and I can assure the greatest grief comes when a parent loses a child.

In times such as these the obvious question that comes to mind is the question of “why.” Why did these young men die? Why did this happen if God is in control of all things? I will not attempt to answer those questions. What I do know is that the deaths of Jonathan and Kevin were not God’s will. It was not God’s plan for Jonathan and Kevin to die last Thursday.

God’s will is directed to the good of his children. However, because God has put us in the world and has given us free will, there are times in life that things happen to us that are not of God’s will. Therefore, sometimes bad things happened to good folks.

In the end asking “why” is a rather pointless question. If we could answer the question of why the simple truth is that it would not take away any of the pain, any of the hurt any of the grief. “Why” is a totally inadequate question because even if we have an answer to the question of why we do not find the comfort that we seek.

Rather than ask the question of “why,” I offer that the question on all of our minds should be the question of “whom.” To whom do we turn when we are confronted with grief, pain and uncertainty in our lives? The answer to that question is simple.

We turn to Almighty God. God is present with us in times of comfort and the shoulders of God are more than capable of bearing our grief. The shoulders of God can handle our hurt and our pain. God’s love is most present in times of grief.

As St. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NRSV)

We also in times like these claim that promises of scripture that tell us that God has an eternal future planned for his people.

Jesus told us, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2 NRSV) Today the family and friends of Kevin and Jonathan can celebrate that they are in their place in the Father’s house.

So it is that our community has lost two young men way too soon. Life will go on though it will be different from what it would have been with Jonathan and Kevin’s presence.

Of course in these times it would be wise for all of us to take a moment to tell the young people of our community how important they are to all of us. Mom’s and Dad’s hug your kids just a little bit tighter.

I know when I saw my daughter for the first time after hearing the tragic news of the last week I hugged her just a little bit tighter and I do believe she was hugging me little tighter as well.