Remembering Mark Harman
Dear Friends,
As you may have heard, our friend and Hollywood member, Mark Harman, was found deceased in his home in La Crescenta Tuesday afternoon. He was only 33 years old. Many of you know him from his consistent, devoted, and capable work in our AV Department at the Hollywood and Burbank Adventist Churches. Mark was a native of this area.
It seems Mark collapsed while taking a shower. Once discovered, paramedics could not revive him. Mark’s father is waiting for the doctor's postmortem report as Mark had not been feeling well since Saturday evening. As reported to me, there was no evidence of foul play or self-inflicted injury.
I'm still in shock. I was there, in Mark’s home, a witness to the terrible grief that is so natural on what became a horrible day. Even so, I can't get my mind around how someone so young, so vital, so engaged in preparation for his own future can be gone—just like that. I'm flooded with questions both pragmatic and theological. It's almost impossible not to turn to the heavens and ask the "Why?" questions you may be asking too. "Why one so young, with his life before him? Why one of our best volunteers? Why someone so faithful? Why this kind, intelligent and generous friend? Why? Why? Why?”
We're all going to go, and none of us know the day or the hour, a small mercy. What we know, but can never quite fully anticipate, is the shock and pain of particular losses. We can't anticipate the ways the fabric of our community is changed. We can't fathom what life might now look like without Mark journeying beside us. Fortunately, there are things we can anticipate: That we'll continue to journey in faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is our love.
Some of you may know that Pam, Mark's mother, preceded him in death in 2023, a fact that magnifies this particular loss. Please pray for Mark’s father, Glenn, and the many neighbors and relatives who are grieving the loss of Mark right now. Let's not forsake each other in this time of loss, but comfort one another. Let's let our own lights shine more brightly. Let us learn from Mark's patterns of service, giving and sharing as we move forward, living in the shadow of death and the hope of resurrection.
Even so, Lord Jesus, come....
Pr Greg