Marky Cielo, a Filipino young actor died at the age of 20 yesterday. With a budding acting career and growing popularity, ain't he too young to die?My sister relayed that to us yesterday while we were on our way to church. A friend texted her the news. I was driving and I don’t know if they noticed it, but I literally froze there for a few seconds. The first thing I said was, “darn, I am still lucky huh.” “I was in two near death car accidents (due to drunk driving), and here I am still alive and kicking,” I sullenly remarked (although hoping to grow old and wiser).
The pastor’s sermon zeroed in on God’s love and loving Him back in return. It was the typical sermon you hear on evangelistic rallies, Christian TV shows, or from Christians testifying about their 'close-encounter' experiences with God. Somehow, with the sad news of Marky’s senseless demise, that unfading message hits me anew.
I was loved, and so I was spared. This is not to say that Marky was not loved in that way. It’s just that, specifically for me, God was telling me again that I was loved and that I should stop running. Probably, he’s telling me instead that I am too young to die. Yet.
RIP Marky.