Yesterday was the memorial service for Mark Towery. So much could be said about him, but lest we make a hero of him, let’s share a few things that he exemplified because of his faith in Jesus.
During the service, I shared from Romans 5:1-5 because this was among Mark’s favorite passages. There, Paul talks about the Christian impulse to rejoice in suffering. Of course, Mark exemplified this, but it was not because he was a superhero. It was because of Jesus’ work in Mark. That is what Paul says in the passage. “…since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” If you are a Christian, this is true of you, too. You can rejoice in suffering. You can have peace in the midst of your difficult circumstances.
Paul also says that there is a progression of traits that flow from suffering—endurance, character, and hope. Mark exemplified these things as well. Again, not because he was a superhero, but because he allowed God to work these things in us. Why? Again, Paul has the answer in Romans 5. “…because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” You and I have the Holy Spirit if we have been born again. You and I have God’s love. We, too, can be models of peace, joy, endurance, character, and hope.
We got really used to seeing these things in Mark, and now that he is safe in the arms of Jesus, we need new examples of these things. It doesn’t take superheroes to fill his shoes. It takes ordinary Christians made new in Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Why not me? Why not you?