Remember: Andrew the Tank

I had the privilege of being impacted by an incredible young man of God about six years ago. His name was Andrew.

I only knew Andrew for a short time. He was a senior in high school when I was only a freshman. We were both on the Student Council. He was the Student Body President and I was the ninth grade Vice President. There was no real reason he should have paid much attention to me, but he did. We went on the first planning retreat to Hilton Head Island our school ever had. Little did I know that what we set in motion that year would change the course of history at my high school.

I do not have too many memories of Andrew, but there are a few things about him that I remember and have been reminded of:

First, he was strong. I mean this in every sense of the word. Physically he was a monster. He was a solid, immovable force no matter the sport he played. If you ask anyone from high school what physical feature reminded them of Andrew it would have been his calves. He had the largest calves of anyone I had ever seen. His legs could lift an unbelievable amount of weight. He was as strong as an ox… or better yet, a tank.

He was also a strong leader. He had a magnetic personality that you just felt safe following. He was able to make decisions and delegate when he was the Student Body President. He allowed others to be involved but also knew when to take control. He led by example, not because someone told him he had to, but that was just the way he was. He knew the direction and wanted help lead you that way.

Second, he was contagious. I do not mean he was always sick; he had a contagious personality. He always loved to smile, laugh, goof around, and he somehow had the ability to coax you into doing the same. Granted, I was not one of those in his closest circle, but from the brief time I knew him and the stories I have heard about him, I know that he loved people with his whole heart and wanted to encourage them with everything he had.

Third, he was a worshipper. He had a natural ability and gift to lead others in music. I had the opportunity to work with him the same year we were on the Student Council on another aspect of our school in chapel. He led the praise band on a weekly basis and our team would interact with the band and to put together a set list and create a spiritual atmosphere. Andrew worshiped with all his heart every week, sang loud in front of all of his classmates, and played for the glory of God each time he set foot on stage.

Lastly, he was forgiven. I know from testimonies of close friends and family, as well as seeing his life on display for that one year, Andrew loved Jesus with all of his heart. He had a huge heart that loved people and wanted them to experience the joy and hope he had found through his Savior, Jesus Christ. No greater compliment can be paid to a man, in my opinion, than being called a man of God who followed Jesus every day of his life. I believe Andrew was that man.

Up to this point, I have been speaking of Andrew in the past tense not only because these memories go back to years ago but also because Andrew tragically took his own life on January 27th, 2012.

I had the opportunity to sit in a celebration service yesterday afternoon with 1,500 of Andrews friends and family as we all reflected and celebrated his life. During that time spent singing, listening, reflecting, and praying, I could not help but remember the words I have heard Louie Giglio speak time and time again when referring to death and funerals: “You preach you’re own funeral.” What he means is the way you live your life will speak louder than anything anyone can say at your funeral. The passion for which you pursue certain things in life will far outweigh the emotions people have on your last day on earth. Your heart will be on display to the people attending your funeral in the memories and impact that you leave behind, not the words that a preacher or relative say to a congregation gathered around casket. What you do in the appointed days you have to live will be the loudest words spoken in your eulogy.

And Andrew spoke volumes of love, compassion, joy, hope, laughter, and strength. He preached the best sermon out of anyone who stood on the platform that day. We know what Andrew stood for in life by examining the legacy he left in his death. My question to you is this:

What will you preach at your funeral?

Andrew, though I only knew you for a brief moment, I want to thank you for the impact you had on the lives around you. I want to thank you for the leadership example that you set before me and the life and energy you brought to a team that looked up to you. While I never knew you at a deeply personal level, I am thankful for the heart you had for others and the joy you brought into your family’s and friends lives on a daily basis. Providence was forever changed as a direct result of your leadership abilities, worship talents, and compassionate heart. Your legacy will live far beyond what you could have ever hoped or dreamed. Thank you for you loving Jesus and showing others what it looked like to love him too.

Remember: Ryan the Warrior

Ryan was the other side of this APUSH triumvirate. I also met him Junior year. The difference with Ryan was that Junior year was his first year at our school. Prior to that he had spent his time at a local public school but made the transition for his remaining two years. Transfer students that late in the high school cycle, especially into small private schools, tend to just float along and aim to just graduate. It is hard to break into a social class that has already been firmly established for years–there were some groups that had grown up since kindergarten together. Since I already had a close group of friends, I was not really looking for any new additions, but APUSH changed that.

If Ryan were telling you this story, he would say that our friendship started with me turning around and inviting him to come over to my house to jam on guitars. This is funny looking back for two reasons: I rarely play guitar now and he is an unbelievable guitar player. He must have known going into it he was going to blow me away; I, on the other hand, had no idea. To be honest, I do not even remember that conversation taking place. That does not mean it did not, it is just that kind of extrovert invitation is not normal for me.

We jammed a couple times, hung out in class, and eventually he started playing guitar for Axis on Wednesdays. I got to see him more and more and really got to know him more and more. He was part of a core group of guys that started a ritual of killing zombies on Xbox together about once a month. We would meet up at my house, drag the TV upstairs from the basement, hook up two Xboxes, and play until the wee hours of the morning then crash until the afternoon. Those were some of the fondest memories I had in high school, and Ryan was at the center of all of them.

The Beauty of the Cursed Tree

I think that it is all too easy for Christians to read through the Old Testament and feel a certain disconnect between the time period, the application, and the stories. Most Christians are not Jewish, therefore, much of the history of the Jewish people seems to be good stories about how God did some cool stuff.

I also think that it is all too easy to over analyze every verse to extract a New Testament insight that is not there. Many comb through the Old Testament like it is a treasure map, examining the pages this way and that, hoping to stumble upon a goldmine of insight that illuminates an entirely new facet that changes the way people perceive the teachings of Jesus.

While I confess I am capable of the latter more often than not, I have been really pushing to put myself in the shoes of a Jew who was receiving all of this information for the first time. I have been trying really hard to look at the Old Testament with new eyes while trying to understand the meaning it had to it’s original audience. It has been a refreshing experience thus far.

With that said, there are passages that appear to directly refer to the life of Jesus–this passage in Deuteronomy, for example–without mentioning Jesus. It is such an obvious aside that clearly parallels Jesus’ death on the cross but does not mention him explicitly.

God states that any man who is hung on a tree is cursed. Simple as that.

The primary means of execution was stoning –and death by sword if you were in combat. The practice of hanging –at least to my knowledge– was not a common practice in the Israelite culture. The time in which it became most popular was during the reign of the Roman Empire in which crucifixions were a commonplace throughout all regions.

There is no way this is coincidence.

Jesus was crucified on a wooden cross. Jesus was cursed by God. He became the embodiment of sin itself on that moment on the cross.

But the beauty is so much deeper than just that. Not only was the Man cursed, but what the Man stood for was cursed. Sin was condemned that day on Golgotha never to have any power over any person any more. What the Man symbolized hung on that tree and was cursed for eternity.

Paul echoes this passage in connection with Jesus’ crucifixion when he writes to the church in Galatia:

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ”Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”
- Galatians 3:13-14

Just another piece of evidence that God has a larger, redemptive story at work that He has orchestrated even from the beginning.

You are Chosen

Jesus speaks more in the Gospel of John than any other Gospel. If you have a Bible that has the words of Jesus in red, then the majority of this letter is red. While the other Gospels read like a highlight reel, John shares what Jesus says. He shares as many teachings as he can. While this makes it tough to follow a plot line of what was said when, he allows a glimpse into a deeper part of the heart of Jesus.

Nestled in a long discourse about love, Jesus says these words:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you…”
- John 15:16

Look back at the stories where Jesus called the disciples. Every story Jesus tells them to “Come, follow me.” Jesus chose whom was going to follow him. Of course, there were crowds that chose to follow Jesus, but the core group of disciples were hand-picked by Jesus.

This was a group of radicals, liars, cheats, fishermen, rebels, loyalists, and priests; they were a pretty dysfunctional of followers, but Jesus picked them regardless of their past. He chose a group of misfits, rejects, and runner-ups to carry out His ministry.

God chooses messy, broken people to accomplish the impossible.

Do you understand that? GOD choose, not us.

God chose you. God chose me.

How much does that stretch your mind? All the time I’ve grown up in church I’ve been persuaded with the language to “choose to follow Jesus.” But what I learned –and was reminded of in this verse– is that I can choose God, but God first chose me.

Instead of this story being about us, and how “we” chose to follow Jesus, how about we refocus on who this story is really about: Jesus.

Be aware that God is calling you to follow Him . Be reminded that God uses messy, broken people to accomplish the impossible. Be encouraged that God believes in you, even when you do not believe in yourself.

God chose you.

Remember: Jonathan the Artist

I have known Jonathan since high school. Although, I do not remember actually being friends until Junior year, and even then, it was a slow friendship because we had both already established ourselves in groups of friends. Two classes brought us together though: AP US History (APUSH) and Axis. APUSH bridged the friendship and Axis cemented it. I am sure we were in other classes, but if it were not for those two classes together, I would have never met one of my closest friends to date.

To understand why those two were important you have to know that our high school has just about 1000 students K-12, 300+/- in the high school, and 109 in my graduating class. It was not like Jonathan and I had not had classes together. Because we had. It is not like we never saw each other. We had. The reality was I had a lot of older friends and was busy with some leadership opportunities in school; Jonathan was busy with running and tended to keep to himself. Our lives never intentionally intersected until APUSH and Axis.

APUSH was a small class, so we were forced to know the people around us. This was the catalyst that formed a three-way friendship that between Jonathan, Ryan, and I that still hold as the closest friends to date. We all complained about reading, the workload, the tests, and the teacher together. But more than that, we began to realize we shared other things in common, most importantly: Star Wars. That was all it took.