By man came death... by man came also the resurrection of the dead

I just returned from singing Messiah at Carnegie Hall and have had Messiah songs playing in my head for months, reminding me of truths in Scripture - of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection. Last Friday afternoon while I was in New York City preparing to sing, I received word that my around-the-corner neighbor and friend who I have come to know and deeply care about over the past couple years had died and gone on to be with Jesus. It has taken until today, as I return to Duncanville and to work, to begin processing and grieving the death of Bill Jackson. When I first started working at First Presbyterian Church in 2016, Bill and his wife Vangie were so excited to have me, a Biola graduate, working at their church. Vangie told me about how Bill became a Christian when he was a teenager - he went to a Christian camp and was led to the Lord by Biola students. He thought all of Los Angeles must be Christian if the Bible Institute of Los Angeles was turning out such on-fire for Jesus students. Since knowing them, Vangie has told me that story on numerous occasions always full of such joy and exuberance. I also have been regaled with stories of how they met, and stories of their family and life as overseas missionaries. They both have so many stories to tell. When I first started here, Bill & Vangie were still living in their own house, bringing themselves to church, but in the past couple years, health and mobility declined, and they moved in with their daughter and son-in-law around the corner from my house. The Jacksons and I began to affectionately refer to each other as "neighbor" and I often gave them rides home from church, or Vangie rides to choir practice. In August I gave them a ride to the Naturally Supernatural Conference on the power of the Holy Spirit in Arlington. In the past few years, Bill & Vangie have become very dear to me, and hearing of Bill's death weighs heavily on my heart. As Messiah songs play in my head, I am comforted to be reminded that "by man came death" but "by man came also the resurrection of the dead." We all die, but through Christ we may all live again.