Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president

Have you noticed that we cling to words?

Back in the days before email and text messages, people would write letters. Those letters may be the only communication you would have with loved ones. I still have the letters my wife wrote to me when we were dating. Those days we didn’t have cell phones and long distance was expensive. I was traveling quite a bit in the summer for my summer job and didn’t always know where I would be each night. She worked at summer camp where it was hard to find time for a phone call. Yet when I would arrive back home there would be letters waiting for me. I would read them over and over. Sometimes she would even put a bit of perfume on the paper which made it more special.

Today we communicate via text, social media, and, yes, even the phone.

Yet words are still important. Last words of people are also something that we seem to remember and reflect upon. Back in April, I was visiting my parents. I was struck by the prayer my father prayed. He was quite ill at the time and suffering from COPD, so breathing was hard. Yet in that prayer he prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill him and each of us in the room so we would be equipped for the work that God had for each of us. In his illness he was still praying for the Holy Spirit to fill him and equip him for ministry.

Little did I know at the time is that was the last time I would hear my father pray.

A few weeks ago, I spoke to my father on the phone. This time the conversation was short. He told me that he was fine. He was just old and tired. He really wasn’t fine but wanted to put on a brave face. A few days later my father fell asleep in Jesus. His work on earth was finished.

He made an impact on my life and the lives of many young people at the school where he worked.

The last words of Jesus are important for us to reflect upon as we think about the impact of those words. The gospel of John in 19:30 tells us that Jesus said,

Then He died. Verse 28 however tells us something very important.

Jesus had come to the end of His life of purpose. He had made an impact on many people’s lives while He walked the face of the earth. Yet He knew that by His death, burial, and resurrection a much greater impact would be made in the lives of millions of people when they realized Jesus took their place, and they could have life everlasting with Jesus. Sin, death, sorrow, sickness, and pain would be no more.

This world is just old and tired.

We can try and put on a brave face. Yet we know that this world is not fine. It needs to be remade and renewed. We look forward to that day. Until then let us keep walking with Jesus who finished the work for us and promises that a great day is coming.