BE MERCIFUL, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL.
Luke 6:26
The following is an excerpt from my book, “52 Paths to Heaven.”
The call came in the fall of 1986 – my final semester in college. My friend had just hung himself at another college and his father wanted me to know.
Suicide becomes a path to heaven for the survivors who turn to God, question God, look at the value of life and more.
Someone may rail against God for allowing a young man in his 20s get to the point where killing himself seems better than anything else. And that’s OK. If they’re thinking about God – even blaming Him for something He didn’t cause – the communication clearly marks a way to God.
This tragedy, like other occasions in my life, didn’t stand out as a loud wake up call to discover Jesus. Looking back now, I can see it as one of many influences in my life that subtly took me beyond my own world, my own desires, and my own plans. Our inward focus (our “flesh” as the Bible writers described the self) that keeps us distant from God.
I don’t know why my friend chose suicide. I know there was tension between him and his parents and that he didn’t get along with other students at college. I imagine he had thought about suicide long before leaving for college. He had a terrific, creative mind and a wonderful way with words and music.
In high school, his hair was long and straight, often covering his eyes and face. And yet, he shaved the hair one day and his attire changed to reflect his passion for the punk rock culture. Abrupt changes in anyone’s personality scream: “I’m hurting. Pay attention to me.”
We didn’t equate the change with suicide.
I wish I had been a Christian at the time. I could have asked the Lord to help him. The Holy Spirit could have guided me in what to say or do.
Suicide is a hot topic in religious circles. Some spiritual leaders teach that those who commit suicide go to hell. I think they’re harsh and unreasonable. Christians go to heaven. Non-Christians go to hell.
I didn’t say anyone who claims to be a Christian, just authentic Christians. How do I define one? It’s someone whose life has been transformed – someone who has accepted responsibility for his sins, turned away from those sins and received God’s gift of Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross. In all of that, a new relationship with Jesus begins to blossom.
I don’t know where my friend went. I’m hoping that God will be merciful in a way no one can comprehend – not me, not you.
Additional Perspectives
National Suicide Hot Line: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Suicide.org (resources and state/local phone numbers)
Clarifying Christianity
Got Questions Ministries
United States National Suicide & Crisis Hotlines
Stewart, Gary. Suicide: A Christian Response : Five Crucial Considerations for Choosing Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1997.