It is with a heavy heart that I compose this post. Andy Widman, husband and father to three children, was shot to death this morning around 2 am in Fort Myers, FL. Andy was a dear friend from seminary. Someone who genuinely loved and served others because of his hope in the gospel of Christ. His faith led him into concrete, risk-taking expressions of that love, whether in the jungles of Thailand or on the streets of Fort Myers. He and I spent a summer in Northern Thailand, where we did ethnographic research among some remote peoples called the Shan-Dai. Andy was a burgeoning expert on Buddhism. His keen mind was matched with a depth of soul and a genuine love for others.
Andy will be deeply missed. At age 30, he had such a promising life ahead of him, but in this bitter providence he leaves behind a sweet wife and three dear children. If you pray, pray for this family. Pray that they would know the God of comfort and the Father of all mercies in this time of suffering and pain. Pray that they would know the sufficiency of their suffering messiah in the midst of broken-hearted helplessness.
