Edward ‘Bro’ West was brutally murdered on August 8th, 2006.  He was shot at point blank range multiple times in broad daylight while walking back to his apartment where he lived with his Grandmother and two siblings.
This is sad and disturbing news unless you know what transpired in his life in the weeks before.

Bro had been attending a Thursday night basketball program in the Cedar Springs community hosted by Bridgebuilders.  At the program young teens and adults are encouraged to play basketball competitively while remembering that the focus is on Jesus Christ and that there is more to life than winning at basketball.  After the first couple of games that are played, there is a Bible study given so that everyone can take a short rest and hear the word of God. 

One evening a message was given from Matthew 10:32-34 on being a full-time Christian. After the message, the speaker asked the young men to close their eyes and place a hand over their heart if they were unsure of their salvation and wanted to be saved by Jesus.  Thirteen people placed a hand over their heart that day.  There was another invitation to come forward in order to live out the call of Jesus from Matthew 10:32.  The speaker prayed and then invited the young men to come forward to announce their faith and trust in Jesus.  No one came. 

Five…Ten... Fifteen seconds passed and still no one came.  The speaker then began to pray against the fear of man and against the pride of life.  There was one man who led the way down, Edward Earl West.  He was the first of three young men who came forward to represent Jesus Christ before his peers and community.  The speaker gave Bro a huge hug and rejoiced with him in his confession of faith.  The next week Bro attended a weekly Bible study given by BridgeBuilders and continued to show interest in the things of God.  But time was not on Bro’s side. 

Just two weeks after his confession of faith, Bro was shot and killed only a few steps away from his home.  As a Christian, dying is a beautiful transfer from one place to another.  Sometimes on this side of eternity it’s hard to understand death, but we can be certain that those who have passed away in Christ are in a much better place than this.