Remembering David Arthur

David Arthur. David was the guy who lived 8 houses down from me. David was the guy who I stood next to in marching band for a year. I would always wait for David’s register at chickfila because he never ceased to make every customer smile. I loved seeing David at every Tuesday night Biblestudy, Sunday morning service and Friday night outreach. He wasn’t one of my closest friends, but his presence blessed my life more than I will ever be able to say.

One of my favorite things was watching David fall in love with Jesus. The Lord captured his heart and totally changed the way he saw this life. I loved hearing about his heart for others to know the surpassing love of Jesus. David's joy was deeply rooted, his jokes were hysterical, his smile was contagious, and his heart overflowed with compassion.

 Last week, David committed suicide. 

 

There aren’t really any words to articulate the feelings that are spinning restlessly in all of our hearts.

Continuous grief, unbearable pain, devastating, heart wrenching—they all feel like understatements. There is nothing like it in this life. People all throughout Maryland were touched by David’s love and joy; I have never seen so many people hurting over a death.

But for some reason, every time there’s a suicide, people make it all “hush, hush.” Everyone tries to cover it up and not really say what happened. They talk about the person, they talk about the pain, but they don’t ever say “suicide.” The word itself puts weight on any conversation. But I decided-- I’m not going to cover this up. David committed suicide. But I will not let his moment of darkness invalidate the life of light he lived.

David lived a life of light.

We are not defined by a single moment in our lives, but rather the moments that make up the whole.

Despite his moment of darkness, David lived a life of light.  

So how do we find comfort and hope in the midst of such hurt..

The same way David found it. The cross. The marvelous cross. The blood that Jesus shed on that glorious day 2,000 years ago changed it all. God took on flesh so that we might have life.  Jesus suffered one of the most gruesome deaths. But his perfect love could not be overcome. He rose to life and made a way for sinners to be redeemed; the sacrifice of the perfect lamb for a people underserving. We have guaranteed victory because of the cross.

But where does that fit in right now? Right now, it seems like evil has won.

But it hasn’t. Guaranteed victory doesn’t mean easy wins. Evil might have gotten a punch, but we have already won because of Jesus. Yes, David gave into temptation. Yes, David was overwhelmed with darkness. Yes, David committed suicide. But the only yes that matters is the YES, David is forgiven.  David was just as forgiven in that moment of sin as he was in the moment before, as he will be forevermore. David is justified by faith through Jesus’ grace. Nothing can separate him from that grace.

The grace of the cross reaches all things. Jesus’ grace reaches all things… Even suicide. Because Jesus isn’t dependent on us. So last week, when David took his own life, Jesus welcomed him with open arms and said- Oh wanderer, come as you are. Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal. Welcome to paradise. Welcome home.

 

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Every Tuesday night after Bible study, a group of us would go out for chickfila milkshakes. David was never satisfied until we were all sitting together. He would pull 4/5 tables together and somehow get enough chairs for everyone to have a spot.  It was such a picture of how David lived his life- including everyone.. I can just picture David at the feast of the Lord’s table right now. I bet he is making everyone laugh, pulling up chairs so that everyone has a spot. And that’s what David did in this life. He loved others, he made others laugh, he shared the truth of the gospel in action and in truth, so that some might find salvation, and be pointed towards the seat that Jesus has for them at the table.

#RememberingDavidArthur