Whether we know it or not, each one of us is a gift from God to all the rest of humanity. We either improve or hurt it, yet we never leave it just the same. I can truly say that humanity has been truly enriched because God sent Dr. Jerome Bernard Price, Sr. into the world. God made this incredible gift and left it up to us to get to know him and to appreciate him for who he is, and what he had to offer. He was a man of integrity.He had a passionate love for God, his wife, Pamela, children, and his flock. He was our pastor, our friend, and our brother in Christ.He will surely be missed.
The Scriptures tell us Psalm 139:13-16: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
In other words, none of us just happened. We came into this world, having been put together by God to make a difference in the lives of others and to make a difference for God. It is amazing the different ingredients God uses to put us together in our mother’s womb.
Death is really an entrance into a new life. We must understand that death is not an ending, yet instead it is a beginning of that new life. Getting a perspective on death is getting the right perspective on life. It is opening one’s self up to another dimension: the spiritual. Coming to grips with death means coming to grips with God and life. We are limited by our concepts of time and space; we must reach beyond to an eternal point of view. Our reaction to death will be conditioned by our reaction to God. Those who are afraid of God are often most fearful of death. Those who know God well seem to welcome the opportunity of being with Him. The dimension that transforms death is - knowing God.
The home going of Dr. Price should not lead us away from God, yet it should cause us to draw nearer to Him. If we chose first to be dependent on God, it leads to freedom. When we know that God holds us safely - whatever happens - we don’t have to fear anything or anyone but we can walk through life with great confidence. If our dependence is upon God when we lose a loved one we will be able realize the truth of Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Yes, with death also comes sorrow and pain, yet God will and can hold us up through our struggle. His arms will not weaken and they are the arms that will hold through eternity.
