By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS – In the days following the death of her husband, a beloved professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Christi Gibson has seen the Christian community rally around her and her family.
And she now wants others to know they should feel free to reach out to others for help in overcoming a certain sin in their own lives.
“The message we hope to get out is that we must do life in community,” Christi Gibson said. “And that means having some sort of environment where we hold each other accountable, are transparent, and talk about our struggles.
She said we must adopt the attitude that “whatever it takes for us to get real in the Christian community, we are ready to do it. We are going to walk in truth.”
Tragedy
Christi Gibson arrived home from work at approximately 5:30 pm. Aug. 24 when she discovered her husband, John, unresponsive at their home on the seminary campus. She immediately notified emergency medical services. Unfortunately, EMS responders were unable to revive him, and they pronounced him dead at the scene.
Leavell College students were notified of their professor’s death during the first class period Aug. 25 and morning classes were dismissed so students could gather in the Hardin Student Center with friends, professors, area pastors and members of the local collegiate ministry staff as they processed the news.
Remembered as redeemed
A memorial service was held on campus Sept. 8, in which several people spoke, including Gibson’s son, Trey. The memorial service can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea4UTHaxG-0.
During his tribute, he conveyed that his dad displayed countless examples of sacrificial love.
“The way that the Lord used my dad to impact people was incredibly far reaching and clearly evident,” he said. “The love he had for everyone was unbiased, unrelenting, and unshakable. If you want to know what it looks like to sacrificially love other people, look at my dad.”
Trey Gibson said that like his dad, every person is broken and living in a broken world. The only thing that can heal that brokenness is Jesus Christ.
He added that God has created every person for relationships and those relationships are crucial when facing life’s battles.
“Life’s race was never designed to be run alone,” he said. “My dad had struggles that he walked with alone. And due to the brokenness of sin and the lies that the enemy can tell you, he could not see a way to let people in.”
Trey Gibson said although his dad suffered with depression and addictions, his true identity was not found in brokenness of sin but in the redeeming love of Jesus.
At the end of his race, Trey Gibson said, his dad opened his eyes in heaven to the warm embrace of Jesus Christ.
“His chains are gone; he has been set free,” he said. “My dad is now sitting alongside all of the other saints watching us run the rest of life’s race, so let’s run it well.”
Trey Gibson said that Satan wants others to believe that vulnerability, transparency and honesty bring about shame, show weakness and kill relationships. But that is not the case, he emphasized.
“God says those things are the only way we can walk confidently in who he has created us to be,” he said. “The enemy never wins. God has already won the ultimate victory and now we have to live like it.”
Wife tells others, ‘Seek help’
Christi Gibson said that anyone struggling with any type of addiction or sin should seek help immediately.
“If there are people out there who are hiding and lying and covering up because of shame, I would encourage them to find a safe person and speak truth,” she said, adding Jesus’ words in John 8:32: And the truth will set you free.
“I hope the Christian community, whether they are speaking truth or hearing truth, will back me up on that. Jesus said that’s how we are supposed to live as believers.”
Since her husband’s death, Christi Gibson has received encouragement from people all over the world, just at the times when she needed those uplifting words the most. These have come in the form of passages from Scripture, praise songs, hugs and food.
“We could not do this without our Christian community without us,” she said. “We joke about Baptists bringing casseroles. The casseroles are really an excuse to be present. And that’s what people have been.
“Support of all kinds has been pouring out,” she added. “This is the church. This is the body of Christ. We have seen that without a doubt.”
Christi Gibson and her children granted an interview to CNN Money which first aired online Sept. 8. She encourages those who have seen it to share the video on social media with a purpose of hope that is found in Jesus Christ. The interview can be seen at money.cnn.com/2015/09/08/technology/ashley-madison-suicide/index.html.
“Share it purposely,” she said. “We are in great pain, pain we never dreamed we would go through. We don’t want that pain wasted. We want believers out there to love each other. If anyone is struggling with depression or addiction, please talk to somebody. Also, please pray for us as we put ourselves out there. Satan is attacking our minds and hearts. He wants to take that hope away. He wants to take that forgiveness away. Your prayers are so important to us.”
NOBTS has established the John Gibson Servant Leadership Fund in her husband’s memory. This fund will provide emergency aid to students and faculty there, including help to those on campus struggling with addiction to seek counseling. Donations to the fund may be made to the John Gibson Servant Leadership Fund, NOBTS, 3939 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans, LA, 70126 or by calling 504-282-4455 (Office of Institutional Advancement).
