« Enough Violence in Entertainment | Home | Mom Chooses Life for Her Child »
“Death is part of life”
By Ken Horn | January 23, 2008
Billy Poole was a rising star in the sport of extreme skiing.
On Tuesday, he was being filmed for a ski documentary in a rugged area of Utah, when he jumped a cliff and landed hard amongst rocks. The 28-year-old rising star was flown to University of Utah Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Peter Metcalf, chief executive of Poole’s sponsor, Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., said of Poole, “His stature was increasing. … He lived the life of a big mountain skier on just enough money to support his habit.”
“In this sport,” the executive said, “death is part of life.”
Certainly sounds a bit callous, but some of Poole’s own statements indicate he knew the risks involved.
Once, after escaping an avalanche, Poole said:
“There is no reason we should have made it home at all that day. … I now know that any one of my friends could be gone in an instant and it has made me very thankful for the time I have with them.”
I have no knowledge of Poole’s spiritual condition. But his tragic death have caused me to reflect on a few of things:
• The folly of risking one’s life for a thrill.
• “Death is a part of life” no matter what risks someone does or doesn’t take.
• Risking your soul is more dangerous than risking your life.
The Apostle Paul, applying an Old Testament passage to his Corinthian readers, wrote, “now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). It is never too soon to receive Christ. If you have not done so, let today be the day of your salvation. Confess your sins and receive Jesus Christ.
If you have friends or loved ones who don’t know Jesus, redouble your efforts in prayer and seek God earnestly about how best to witness to them.
Death is indeed a part of life. It can come at any time. And one’s soul must be right with God when that time comes.
Ken Horn
