How to live for eternity in the face of tragedy

This past weekend, Dallas celebrated the life of an exemplar in the community: 46-year-old Darron Burks was a man of faith, a dedicated teacher, and a police officer. Thousands of people paid their respects at his vigils, visitation, and funeral.

Darron Burks was killed in what Chief Eddie Garcia has called a targeted attack and an execution. Senior Corporals Jamie Farmer and Karissa David were also injured as they responded to the scene.

Burks’s assailant, Corey Cobb-Bey was killed 40 minutes later, following a high-speed chase down I-35. This video showing Cobb-Bey holding a long gun before his death is harrowing and, as someone who lives in Dallas, a shocking confrontation of the irreconcilable violence that exists on our doorstep.

Darron Burks’ character and faith

Officer Burks is widely described as “selfless and kind,” and “committed to his Christian faith.”

He was a devoted school teacher at Texans Can Academy and a member of the Boy Scouts of America. He joined DPD at the start of this year because he sensed God’s call on his life.

Lacey Beasley, a CBS News reporter, said his family was not surprised Burks wanted to join the police. They knew his heart for helping others.

But while much of the grief is understandably centered on Burks’s family and friends, Chase Rogers published a moving piece in the Dallas Morning News that looks at another side of the story as well.

After interviewing Cobb-Bey’s brother, Rogers reports that Cobb-Bey’s family was in “complete shock,” bewildered by the reality that they had to grieve for someone who had done something “unthinkable.” Cobb-Bey’s family has publicly apologized for his actions, reiterating they were shocked at his behavior given his upbringing.

In a phone interview, Cobb-Bey’s brother, Ladarrian Brooks, commented: “I’m just more hurt for the victims’ families than anything . . . Obviously, this is my little brother, but, whatever he was going through that led up to this moment, it involved innocent police officers and other victims. That really hurts me more than anything.”

What motivated Cobb-Bey to shoot?

The reason why Cobb-Bey killed Officer Burks remains unknown, although Rogers speculates that perhaps Cobb-Bey aligned himself with beliefs related to the sovereign citizen movement.

Cobb-Bey was detained in 2017 for refusing to present his driver’s license after being pulled over for an expired vehicle registration. Instead of presenting his license, he handed the officer a “personal liberty” card.

In the days leading up to Officer Burks’s death, Brooks recalled videos that his brother posted on social media. Cobb-Bey claimed he was being followed by a black SUV, saying, “They some demons. They right there.”

Perhaps Cobb-Bey was not of sound mind when he committed the attack. Some have suggested intoxication. Officials have searched Cobb-Bey’s apartment but have not stated whether drugs were found.

Lament in the face of the unexplainable

Officer Burks’s legacy seems to make his death so much harder to bear. As a leader of the faith and in the community, modeling the way of servant-leadership and obedience to God’s call, this tragedy evokes a sentiment akin to the loss of innocence.

And yet, deaths occur every day and in unthinkable ways. The Dallas Morning News released an article titled “Life and Loss in Dallas,” which shares the stories of 100 people whose lives were taken violently this year alone.

In no way do I share that article to minimize Burks’s death. His passing is a concrete, irreversibly painful reality that sheds light on the visceral truth that sin through violence steals lives, steals joy, and steals peace—a concrete, irreversibly painful reality for his loved ones, for the hundreds of lives he touched, of the children he taught, and the men and women he served alongside in both law enforcement and in education. He will be missed by his family and his church community—that pain is violently present now, and will continue to be in light of these events.

Our unshakeable hope

And yet, what a glorious hope we have in Christ that sin and death will be undone—reversed, for us who have put our faith in Him. The inexplicable tragedies that steal our joy and peace will be vanquished.

After the darkest night, enduring the most gruesome death, He cried, “It is finished,” conquering death once and for all when he was resurrected in the fullness of light on the third day (John 19:30).

The hope of perfect communion together in a new earth, where the servant-hearted break bread and drink wine together eternally, is the only foundation able to weather the unthinkable. How blessed we are that Christ’s work was perfect and complete. How great is His victory!

In the midst of the unavoidable pain of this life, our prayer is this: that all our hope is set on you, the Risen Christ, for you have gone before us in this race, enduring death upon the cross for the joy set before you: eternal communion with your creation.

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“The curtains are about to close”

On Saturday, Darron Burks’s mother, Cherie Jeffrey, gave a worshipful and inspiring speech at her son’s funeral. She began, “We are here only by the grace of God. Each and every one of us, we are here, only because of Him.”

“I heard earlier, someone say, that I made Darron. I didn’t make him. God made him. He loaned Darron to me. He told me to love him. Teach him. Live the life before him.”

She encouraged those in attendance to love one another. She exhorted parents to teach and train their kids through Scripture and also by listening. Ms. Jeffrey gave anecdotes of how Officer Burks honored her and valued her, and how he lived out the gospel, not because he was perfect, but because he had the Perfect One, living inside of him.

And what she emphasized most of all, was that Christ is returning and that we need to live boldly in light of that reality:

“And the thing is—so much has been said about [Darron]—but I am here to sound the alarm! Because Jesus is on his way back here again! And we need to be ready to go back with Him! . . . I wanna say to the parents, I wanna say to each and everyone: It’s time. The curtains are about to close. The curtains are about to close! We are in a dress rehearsal here. We are rehearsing for another life! The curtain is about to close. We need to love each other more than we love each other! . . . There are so many men and women that have come to Christ because of my son . . . And that’s what we should do. We should live our lives so that men and women would look at our lives and say, ‘What must I do to be saved?’”

How can you live in the reality of eternal life today?