Many will wonder what happened to the helicopter that made it crash. I will leave all of those unimportant questions to the news media. They're professionals at dirt-digging.
We, as Christians, always ask this one question first, before any of that trivial stuff gets resolved. You have probably already asked the question yourself - "Was he a Christian?"
I went to visit a friend a few weeks ago whose wife had just died. That was the first question I asked? Why? Why do we ask that question before all others? Because we have compassion and we don't like to see others perish without hope.
Death is our line in the sad. Drawn by God, it is our make or break point before which we need to answer that very question about ourselves. Before each of us passes away we MUST come to grips with it and answer it. Not to answer is to answer.
God knows how many days each of us has left to live. For Kobe, his time was up yesterday. Same for the others on the helicopter. I hope he and the other passengers and crew had answered that question before they took off.
"Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." - Hebrews 9:27-28
Christians have one advantage over non-believers when it comes to death. Our faith in Jesus Christ, our repentance of sin, and the belief that He, the Son of the Living God, died on the cross - once, for all - saved us from death. Eternal death. I choose life! I choose Jesus!
Was Kobe a Christian? I don't know. I sure hope so. I hope the same for the others onboard as well. But the truth is, no one truly knows except God Himself.
Kobe's death accomplished something positive in a way. It gave Christians an open door to talk about death, and life after death, with others. Now we are the ones who have another choice to make. We are the ones with non-believing family members and friends. Are we going to say something? Or are we going to watch them get onboard the helicopter as we wave goodbye?
"And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD promised, among the remnant called by the LORD." - Joel 2:32
I Choose Jesus - Moriah Peters
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