How The Light Gets In, A Life Well Lived – Kristian Paul Anderson

I  had  the privilege yesterday of attending Kristian Anderson’s funeral at C3 Church   Oxford Falls here in Sydney. I was not alone. To my eye there were approximately 2000 people in attendance, astounding for a workday during Christmas school holidays.

I wanted to know more about this remarkable man. I had followed his progress through the news media and had been deeply moved as had so many others by  his You Tube production for Rachel his wife after he learned that he was terminally ill.

What I discovered yesterday filled some of the gaps in my own life and will live with me forever.

Kristian was 36 when he died on January 2 of colon cancer. “Way too young, way too early,” said Phil Pringle. He left a wonderful wife, two glorious children and a ‘moon footprint’ on the world, a lasting imprint that will not be dispelled with time.His brother described him as strong willed. As he boy he refused to take his medicine.

“You can take it the easy way or the hard way,” said dad.  The hard way meant being pinned down by dad while mum held his nose and poured it down his throat.

He chose the hard way.

But another put it this way, “He held his head high when everything tried to push it down. And he still managed to strengthen and support others.”

His priorities were: God first, then family, friends and profession. Yet he managed to rise to the top of his field in on-line/off-line processing and post production editing,  working  for such companies as Frame Set and Match and providing contract work for Saatchi and Saatchi.  When asked who he worked for he would say, “I work for the man.”  But would not specify which man.

In her eulogy, Rachel quoted from his last blog entry,

“There is a crack in everyone, that’s how the light get’s in.” The last entry in the blog

“While I struggle to find any logical rhyme or reason in all of this my commitment to following Him has not changed. People look at me like I’m crazy. How can I trust God to deliver me from this madness, when this madness means losing my wife and two beautiful children? And the answer is, I simply don’t know.

It’s the light that permeates the brokenness. It’s the light that the three wise men followed that night when Christ was born. It’s the light that just came to be when God said: “let there be light” on the first day of creation. It’s unexplainable. And as I said before even though it makes no sense, I will follow it until my very end.

It’s the light that shines for every man and woman, and thankfully it shines for me, lest I be lost in the darkness that surrounds me without it.”

The light that shone into Kristian’s brokenness penetrating and illuminating the dark recesses of the unknown now shines for others lighting their paths, showing the way.

Jesus said “I am the Way the truth and the life.” He also said.

“In this this world you have tribulation but fear not I have overcome the world.”