Remscheid, December 8th, 1988. A US jet, an A 10 „Thunderbolt II” crashes into a residential area, rams a house in the Stockder street and comes to a halt in the back lot of a business. The entire area is left in ruins. Parts of the airplane are scattered over an area of 100 meters. The tragic results: 6 dead, 50 wounded.

At the time, I was working at my first job as a pastor in Lippe (a county in Germany). When I heard the news, I had just finished studying a passage of the Bible. In a matter of seconds, my good mood was transformed into a state of shock. Even though I lived hundreds of miles away, the event hit me hard. My mother and my sister lived in Remscheid. Cell phones hadn’t come around yet. All I needed was a normal telephone. My worries caused me to forget everything else around me. I found a telephone, but being unable to put a call through, my worries turned to fear.

“Don’t worry! Remscheid is so big!” someone said. That was not really comforting. The fear of losing someone you love has a dynamic all its own.

After a while I had certaintv: My sister was at school during the crash, not far from the crash sight, but far enough. My mother was also safe. Thank God! What a relief!

Still, the whole situation taught me an important lesson. It raised the question: how would I react to a sudden, unexpected death? I had to ask myself that question. We all have to – and not just once. Death causes fears that we can’t easily shake off. It also raises the question of a possible “afterlife”: Is there life after death? What if God is really there?

In a biblical Psalm, someone prays: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

What does it mean to have a “heart of wisdom”? Does it mean to bring order to our lives before we die? To make peace with all those who’ve been our enemies for years? Does it mean not to bet on the wrong horse or make a bad investment in the stock market? Maybe.

More than anything, having a heart of wisdom has to do with being right with the God before whom we someday will stand. According to the Bible, he will hold us accountable for our lives. Sounds harsh, doesn’t it.

There is good news for those who fear that day, and being held accountable to God. Those who trust in Jesus Christ need not fear the future judgement. Knowing him as your personal Lord and saviour, knowing that he paid the price on the cross for all your sins, knowing the one who wants all people to come to a knowledge of the truth, that can give you comfort in the face of the coming judgement.

Deciding which route to take when I’m out driving can be an important decision. But when it comes to eternity, we have a much more important decision to make. Will we chose to live a life for and with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour? Will we follow the one who says: