| Daily Thought — February
28, 2008 |
|
| LIVING THE
SOLUTION WITH DAILY INSPIRATION |
I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7 — New International Version)
Early Sunday morning the man that many
called “The Father of Christian Rock”, Larry
Norman, died. Larry was a prolific writer, composer, producer
and lyricist. His songs were not your conventional diatribe
of Christian music of the day, but progress in both their
musical form and lyrical content. But to think of him in
only terms of his music would be to do him a great injustice.
Larry’s brother, Charles, has been overwhelmed with thousands and thousands
of letters and email from people all over the world sending their condolences
and telling him about the times when they met Larry, how he brought the food
or came to meet them, even while they were still high on drugs and that as a
result of those meetings they turned their lives around. There are stories after
stories about this man and his heart, his heart for people and his heart for
God.
I had the extreme privilege of knowing him for a few years during the 1990's.
I haven't spoken to him in a while, but when I got the news this morning of his
passing, I remembered that the last thing he had said to me was "I love
you."
He was a kind, generous and gentle man. He was an artist and a Christian in
the purest and strongest sense of both the words. I will sorely miss him...
With love,
Juliet
I feel sad that Larry has died, but I'm happy to know he was prepared for it.
Larry was known as the Grandfather of Christian Rock, and has influenced countless
numbers of Christians and Musicians around the world. He was doing a concert
in The Soviet Union the very day communism fell in that country and was stopped
in mid-concert and made to leave.
I had the honor of having him as a guest in my home and breaking bread with him.
I will miss him and the boldness he stood for Jesus with.
John
I had the privilege of running sound for Larry back in the early eighties. I
happened to be out in the hallway of the school we were at and saw Larry walking
down the hall with a young teen who was sharing something with Larry. His eyes
were fixed and intent as he look at and listened to the teen. It was apparent
to me that at the moment there was nothing more important to Larry then what
that teen was telling him. His heart and his life were all about people and loving
them.
Larry you fought the good fight, you gave all you had to give, right up until
the end; you gave us your heart. Odd that it was your heart that was physically
weak and gave out, but now your heart is strong and you are home where you belong.
You will be missed.
I leave you with these his last words dictated Saturday afternoon and placed
on his web site after his passing:
I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to
pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting
bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.
My brother Charles is right; I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything
about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye tIo everyone. In the past
you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably
still need financial help.
My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still
it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite,
entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what
I need, I want to say I love you.
I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral
posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure
of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.
Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky,
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.
Larry
Live intentionally, purposely, free and with passion,
Pete Reinbold
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of
International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the
offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent
of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All
rights reserved. |
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