A few weeks ago I learned of a tragedy that happened to a young college girl who attended Village Church, and her sister, that I could barely believe. Shiloh Johnston started coming to Village last year (2014) and soon after joined a Community Group. She loved Jesus and others with a deep passion. On February 7 Shiloh’s sister, Keziah, passed away suddenly. She was, of course, devastated by the news but sought to remain hopeful and strong for her friends and family. Just ten days later, on February 17, Shiloh herself was hit by a car and killed while on a walk during a work break. You can read the story here. The funeral for both girls was held last Saturday.

This past Sunday Shiloh’s aunt and cousins were at Village Church and I got to speak with them in the foyer for a few minutes. It was so hard to see the pain in their eyes, and yet there was a hope. They knew Shiloh had trusted in Jesus and lived for him, and that because of that she was more alive than she had ever been. As they went to walk away, Shiloh’s aunt turned to me and said “Oh, I wanted to let you know something. When we finally collected her belongings after the accident we saw that she was listening to your sermon on Death when she was killed.”

Her boyfriend Justin, who planned on proposing to Shiloh in the next few months, messaged me yesterday saying, “The accident happened on her lunch break at work, and on her lunch breaks she would always listen to one of your sermons. And on that day that was the sermon that was up on the app when the police gave her phone to us.”

She had been processing the death of her sister at the time, and she was listening likely to give herself comfort and understanding. When I read the message from Justin today I have to admit I couldn’t help but cry.

Life is so strange.

In the middle of that sermon, I quote what Jesus said about death. “Everyone who believes in me shall never die” he says (John 11:26), meaning not that we don’t pass on from this world, but that those who have trusted Jesus go on to another kind of life, never experiencing even a second of non-existence and death.

Jesus immediately follows up this teaching with a definitive question: “Do you believe this?” (v.26). Interesting question for all of us to ask ourselves.

Shiloh believed it. And I pray you do too. It’s the only hope there is.