John Kooreman

This week we said goodbye to a fellow coworker and father in law of one of the office brokers. He was a good Christian.
What is a good Christian? Is it somebody who leads a good life? Is it somebody who does good deeds?
These are often the wrong answers to what a good Christian is. You can have a good life and be a good citizen and not be a good Christian or even be a Christian.
Being a good Christian is somebody that accepts Jesus Christ as his lord and savior, and loves his neighbor as he loves himself.
That is what John Kooreman was.
He would wear his religion on his sleeve. Tried to a live a Christian life based on what the bible said, and use every single opportunity to present the gospel, regardless of who he was dealing with.
He came from a solid Christian background, lived through hard times during the depression, but always kept the faith that Jesus Christ was at his side.
He served as an elder, deacon and a Sunday school teacher at Midland Park Christian Reformed Church.
I will always remember him for sending postcards of encouragement to people who were going through low periods in their life and needed support, for making phone calls and talking to people who needed somebody to talk to.
My friendship time was not a very long one because I only met him 5 years ago, but his presence, his humor and his optimism will stay with those of us who had the fortune to have crossed paths with him.
He is safely in the arms of his beloved savior, safe from the pain of the illness that made him suffer during the last few months.
God bless you, John.