The Tragic Death of an Icon
Death impacts us. It should impact us. It should affect us. On Sunday January 26, a helicopter carrying nine people including Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, crashed killing all the passengers and the pilot.
The announcement quickly spread around the country and throughout the world, primarily because Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players to play the game. The world’s predominant response was sadness and grief.
In moments like this I wonder how to respond. Is it ok to enter into the grief the world shares? Is this any different than the death of another person? Is it ok to make a big deal about Kobe and his daughter but not the other seven passengers?
Perhaps it warrants asking the question, “As Christians how could we respond to this?”
# 1 - We could respond with Emotion
I’m reminded of the passage in John 11:35 where Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus. Perhaps Jesus responded with sadness and emotion because the world is broken, and this is not the way things are supposed to be. Even though Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, He still felt the sadness of the moment and entered into the pain of his family and friends.
As Christians, we could respond with sadness and grief too. Life is not supposed to end this way. And yes, there is hope for a day when Christ will return to right the wrongs of sin and death, but until that day death should impact us.
Christians are notorious for glossing over death and using cliché phrases to avoid pain and sadness. Instead, if we were more prone to enter into the sadness, I believe it would draw us closer to the creator of the universe and into a greater understanding of how God cherishes life.
#2 - We could respond with Examination
There is a powerful passage from Luke 13 in which a tragedy occurred in Jesus’ day. The people asked him, “‘Do you think this happened because of their sin?’” and Jesus responds by saying, “‘You are asking the wrong question.’” Here Jesus essentially implores them to examine their own hearts.
Whether the death of a loved one, a friend, or a celebrity, we could respond by examining our own lives. Moments like this remind us that life is fragile, precious, and short - nothing is guaranteed. We could press in and examine our own lives, our love for God, our love for our families, and our love for our neighbors.
#3 - We could respond with our Ears
OK, I realize that sounds cheesy and yes, I want to present three ‘E’s’ but hang with me. No matter where others are on their individual spiritual walks, death creates an opportunity to listen. We can listen to peoples’ struggles, listen to why people are moved by death, and listen to peoples’ pain. Christians are often so quick to preach correction when someone’s response may not be biblical, and we should speak truth…. but perhaps using our ears to empathize with and enter into peoples’ painful situations is a humbler and more genuine gospel response.
These are perhaps simple reminders, but more often than not they can encourage us to think about what we need the most. My heart does break for Kobe’s family and for the families of the others who perished. My prayer is that in the midst of this they would see the God of all peace and comfort.