Where, O Death, Is Your Sting?

By now you may have heard that 22 year old Anaheim Angel pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a hit and run car accident yesterday in California. The driver of the minivan that struck the car in which Adenhart was riding, 22-year-old Andrew Thomas Gallo, was later apprehended and was legally intoxicated. He had a suspended license and a previous drunk-driving conviction. Two other passengers in the car were also killed

Nick Adenhart was a 14th round draft pick of the Angels in 2004 and pitched here in Cedar Rapids in 2006, posting a 10-2 record with a 1.95 ERA in sixteen games. He was named to the 2006 Midwest League Western Division All-Star team and also the 2006 Midwest League post-season All-Star team.

This was a tragic and needless death. This being Good Friday, I probably spent more time than I otherwise might have, reflecting on this incident. The thing that absolutely grabs my heart is when I watch the Angel Press Conference with Adenhart's agent, Scott Boras. Please watch the video and the way that Boras breaks down in tears.

Now, if you're not a baseball fan, what you need to know is that Boras is the toughest and most hated negotiator in the sport. In its April, 2001 edition, Esquire writer Scott Raab called Scott Boras the Most Hated Man in Baseball. Slate magazine called him "The Baseball Anti-Christ." Trust me, without going into details, Boras' hard-nose, take no prisoners reputation is well deserved!

To watch a man like Boras break down in tears reminds me that even the strong and powerful are not immune from the tragedies of life. And then I reflect on the tragedy of a young Jewish man who was falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit, cruely punished, publicly humiliated, and brutally beaten and crucified. This is a tragedy of epic proportion.

This tragedy brings me to my knees when I realized that my Savior took my place and paid my penalty. He did for me what I couldn't do for myself!

Friday is a day of tragedy. But I'm thankful for Sunday and the empty tomb. I'm thankful that Jesus Christ hung on a cross and died for my sin. I'm thankful that senseless tragedies will one day be made right. That pain and suffering will be swallowed up by life.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:54-55