Guest Blog Post: A Way Which Seems Right

Guest blog post by Charlene Holsendorff

I didn’t expect that the death of a Hollywood personality would so affect me. I tend to regard the death of familiar celebrities with the detached nostalgia given the passing of, say, a distant family relative. Such was the case with the passing of James Avery (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), for example.

Whereas I have never been a devoted fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman, I nonetheless always appreciated the depth and authenticity that he brought to every one of the characters he portrayed. So it was that upon learning that this gifted artist of only 46 years died so unintentionally by an illegal drug overdose, I became unexpectedly upset.

It was only as I sat and reflected on the reason for this unexpected reaction that the Lord brought to my mind some profound yet deceptively simple principles that our society is losing sight of:

1) Death is no respecter of persons. Mr. Hoffman lived in a $11,000 per month apartment. That’s a small measure of his financial worth. We tend to rank wealthy people on a different scale than the rest of us. God doesn’t do that. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. ~Hebrews 9:27-28 (NKJV)

2) Each of us is given one day at a time to choose to live our lives with productive purpose. Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ~Ephesians 5:15-17. Whether you consider acting a productive ambition or not, Mr. Hoffman’s years of artistic contribution nevertheless did not trump his drug use. The weight of the scale was, sadly, on the side of that heroin-filled needle. His heralded career was an anemic counterweight.

It’s a daily conflict to not be overcome with the hardships and enticements of a corrupted world. Jesus reminds us that In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33. And, Jesus also provides a profound counter-balance to the futility of the struggle to create meaning to our lives: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. ~John 10:10

Heartfelt condolences, indeed, to Mr. Hoffman’s family – and other families who’ve been devastated by this kind of departure by their loved one.

Along with her vocation as a career management authority who has brought job search success to hundreds of job-seekers, Charlene Holsendorff is an impassioned Christian author with a heart for empowering individuals. She recently published her first eBook, “How to Not Get a Job: 10 Pitfalls to Keep You Unemployed (Forever!).”