LOVE LIKE HIS - Chapter 40 – CHOICE
The department obviously did not make attending this funeral mandatory. Besides Gary and Ray, there were only about a dozen people that even bothered to show up for this final farewell to the body of Detective Timothy Cromwell.
It’s amazing to consider that after all of his hard work and all of the cold cases he had cracked, very few people even interrupted their normal schedules long enough to “honor the dead.” Perhaps it was his attitude and demeanor. Perhaps it was his lack of real care for other people. Perhaps it was because he had committed suicide.
So many people seem to avoid the subject of death anyway, and seeing such a “successful” man in his work take his own life in such a way was probably more than a lot of people really want to consider.
An older woman shuffles past the headstone and spits on it before storming away.
Gary and Ray have never seen anything like it. They had both assumed that she was some sort of relation to the deceased detective, and although that could still be the case, especially since he did take his own life, it now seems much more likely that Cromwell had put away her son for some sort of crime. After all that the detective had put these two through, they wondered if the man was innocent.
They decide to leave and begin to walk back towards Gary’s car, resuming their earlier conversation.
“I can’t believe that he would actually do that. Especially after the things that we tried to share with him. I thought that God was using us in his life,” Ray begins.
The two don’t even know how gracious God was with the detective that night, or about the misfire and second chance.
“Well,” Gary begins his obligatory response and then finishes formulating his answer, “I think that God did use us in his life. He only knew us for less than a week, and I think that our actions backed up our words when we shared about God’s love and forgiveness, despite man’s wickedness.”
“Oh, so it was like one last exposure to the truth for Cromwell?”
“Basically. We know that God loves everyone regardless of their sin. We know that they have all chose to lie, steal, and everything else that God hates, yet, through Jesus he has offered forgiveness. But, he will never force anyone to receive that forgiveness, or to choose to love him in return. Love can’t be forced.”
“But don’t you think that he knew God was real? Don’t you think that he ever felt guilty for his sin? I mean, I know that people can sear their conscience so that it doesn’t really work anymore, but he must have known, right Gary?”
“Truthfully, I think that everyone knows God is real. Some people are just more comfortable pretending that he doesn’t exist.”
“I’ve kind of thought the same thing before. I mean, why else would atheists completely freak out every time they see the ten commandments or a cross somewhere? If it’s all ‘make believe’ then who cares? However, if it is just a reminder of the truth, and someone is trying to live a lie, then it becomes a problem.”
“Wow, Ray! Good insight. That does make sense. Ultimately, I believe that God has made his presence clear to all of mankind, and every man in the world knows that he has done wrong. Much like Cromwell, they try to justify it or point at the other guy, but they know. All God can do is offer to forgive them, but in the end, it’s their choice.” Gary pauses long and hard, reflecting on the choice that Detective Cromwell made.
“Just like with the detective, everyone is free to choose to do anything that they want, even blowing their own brains out, but God just wants them to choose him. Which one sounds better to you?"
THE END OF LOVE LIKE HIS
Until next time…
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