I’m deeply saddened by Glenn’s passing, but your words make me smile through the tears. We didn’t correspond much while he was trying to finish the book, so our last real exchange was early June, not long after he started hospice care. He felt the end approaching and spent a great deal of time mourning for his sins.
Glenn: As death gets nearer, one thinks a bit more deeply about one’s own sin and what needs forgiveness, both from me, and to me. … I don’t think Christians realize how sin is in the very air we breathe and culture we swim in. There are times I don’t think I realized how utterly infected I am by this world–and I am a believer. We have no hope but Christ.
After some back-and-forth, I ended with this: “You’ve mourned long enough for your sins. Do me a favor. When you feel death knocking at the door, remember the good times and the joy in your life. Try to go out with a smile on your face.”
I’ll miss my sparring partner, but a better ending couldn’t be written: