April 15th 2003 started like any other normal day. I got up and drove down I-20 toward downtown Atlanta where I worked. After arriving, the day seemed to be off to a normal start in the life of a printing company; however, things would take a drastic turn before the day ended. That morning, my best friend – William Harrell – came into my office and we discussed our hearts desire – preaching. Both William and I were young “preacher boys” who had been called to proclaim the Word of God. William and I belonged to the same church in Douglasville, Ga and we worked for the same company in Atlanta. William was a sales manager and I worked as a pre-press assistant and web designer. When William and I got together on the job, our conversation usually centered around preaching, sermons we were both working on, books we were reading, and other ministry goals for the future.
The printing company we worked for was owned by another member of our church, and he sought to operate his business with Christian standards. Therefore, at 10:30am each day, we would have a company break, and the printing presses would all come to a stop. In the bindery a group of Christians would gather for an employee led devotional. Tuesday was assigned to me – and I always looked forward to the opportunity to share the Word of God with my fellow employees. This particular day, I was reading in the book of 1 Corinthians in my personal Bible reading time. That morning I read the 15th chapter as I had my cereal at 5:45am. It was during that time that I decided to share this passage of scripture in my devotion during our morning break.
As the break time arrived, I was ready to go! As you can imagine, a young preacher who rarely gets an opportunity to teach and preach the Word of God – I was always looking forward to another opportunity. I read the following passage of Scripture as we started:
1Cor. 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Cor. 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Cor. 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Cor. 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
When I finished, I shared with my fellow employees the promise of eternal victory in Jesus Christ. I pointed out that because of sin and our fallen condition, we as humans will some day die. I then went on to share that death is not the end. I pointed out in this glorious passage of scripture that we are promised glorification whereby our old bodies which decay will be changed into a glorious body (likened to our Lord Himself) that will not decay and die. I pointed out that we have victory over death – because our Lord Jesus Christ defeated death – as Paul states in this passage, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” I recall as I shared this passage of scripture with my friends and fellow employees, William was sitting on the edge of his seat with a big grin on his face.
Later in the day, William and I discussed his plans to have dinner with his brother for the purpose of sharing the gospel with him. We prayed for his brother’s salvation together. I left work about 30 minutes earlier than William each day, and as I left work – I recall watching him walk down the hallway toward the front offices. It would be the last time I would ever see William alive.
After going out on evangelism and outreach with my church that evening, my wife and I went home together and got ready for bed. After falling asleep, we were awakened by a telephone call about midnight by our pastor informing us that William was killed in an automobile accident. He was coming home after having dinner with his brother when a car hit him in the driver’s door as he went through a stop sign.
As Kari and I got up out of bed – we immediately scrambled to get dressed in order to go comfort Kerri (his wife). When we traveled down the road in the early hours of the morning of April 14th – with tears streaming down my face and unanswered questions filling my mind – I recalled our morning devotion where Paul proclaimed our victory over death.
Although the rest of that night was spent in sorrow as we shared tears with a young widow who was pregnant with her first child, a set of parents who lost their son, friends who filled the home who lost their close friend – deep in my heart I knew that the victory of Christ had already prevailed – and William had experienced just the beginning of that victory hours earlier.
Two days passed with many unanswered questions filling my mind. One day before the funeral service I came to grips with two very important truths contained in that wonderful passage of 1 Corinthians 15:54-58. I recall sitting on my couch as I prepared the message I would preach at the funeral service. I was sitting there asking God the famous question – “Why?”. As I prayed and searched the scriptures, I came across that line in the text – “Death is swallowed up in victory.” I then moved forward to see the end of the passage which says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” I started to realize that as a Christian I needed to remain steadfast, unmoveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord! From that day forward – I have sought to remain steadfast – even through tragic situations.
In January of 2004, after moving to Louisville to attend The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kari and I met a man named Chip Thornton. As God would have it, we became good friends, and a few years later God brought Kerri Harrell and Chip Thornton together as husband and wife. I had the privilege to marry them – and now they are expecting their first child together in March.
I learned two important things through this event in my life. First, I realized that we should never allow tragic events in our lives to sway us from continuing to serve our Lord. Secondly, I realized that God has a providential plan that is often hidden from our minds and hearts. In the end – I find strength in the promises of scripture – “Death is swallowed up in victory.” To God be the glory – great things He has done!
For the glory of God!
Rev. Josh Buice
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