Yesterday in the late-afternoon, I received word from Vilonia that Stanely Gordon had passed away. Mr. Gordon, as I always called him, was a titan of faith, a bedrock of spiritual living, and a Christian patriarch whose family I consider as close as kin.
Many of us have watched Mr. Gordon’s health deteriorate over the past few years, even while his mind and spirit remained strong. Age took his body, as it does to all who live so long, but it did not rob him of his sharp wit, his loving demeanor, or the twinkle in his eye that sparkled whenever you went to visit him.
When the news came that he passed, my mind went to one verse, and then to another. First, I thought of the description of Abner that was given once the news of his death was conveyed: “A great man has fallen” (2 Samuel 3:38). Death claimed a giant, a hero, a model, and an example to all who knew him.
We have prayed for a while now that Mr. Gordon’s passing would be smooth and painless. Now that it has happened, we give thanks to the Lord, whose angels were dispatched to carry His faithful servant into paradise. We thank God for easing his pain. We do not thank death. Death is the enemy, one which Jesus promises us will be vanquished in the end:
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
(John 11:25)
A great man has fallen, but in time, by the power of our Master, he will stand again.
~Matthew