What I Believe Scott Hill Wants You To Know

Brandt Dary (T-Bell) & Scott Hill (Freak) taken on Scott's Polaroid camera.

A couple of days ago at about 10:30 pm, I found out that Scott Hill passed away. Scott was one of my childhood best friends. We haven’t really connected in the past dozen years or so, but before that, we were certainly close!

Back in the day I used to spend the night at his hour and he at mine quite often. I remember that we snuck out often and rode our bikes to the Seatac Mall area in Federal Way, Washington. Once a police officer strongly advised us to go home but we weren’t breaking the law so we just laughed off his advise and did what we wanted to do.

I remember that Scott would eat meals in the bathroom, while using the bathroom... I’ve always thought that was strange, but he did what he wanted. Scott and I were quite different people, but we had fun together, until we didn’t.

One of the last times we spent time together was when Scott drove all the way down from Washington to visit me in my Phoenix apartment. It’s about a 24 hour drive. 

At that time, I was a pretty religious person. I had gone to a youth group and I believed that I was a Christian (I’m not sure I was actually one, but more on that later).

I was very ignorantly, but passionately, trying to share Jesus with Scott. I don’t remember the exact words I used, but I told him things like how much better his life would be if he’d ask Jesus into his heart. I remember that he brought some girl with him to my apartment, as well as alcohol, and I was very judgmental and condescending about how Jesus wouldn’t like that.

I annoyed Scott so much with my attempt to proselytize him that he turned around, without sleeping, and drove all the way back to Washington. I know my intentions were good, but I felt so bad about how I made Scott feel, that I wrote something like this in my journal “I will never again open my mouth for the purposes of sharing Jesus with someone.” But, a few short months later, something happened... I got saved. I became a Christian myself.

I went to church and heard a different type of message. Not the normal “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” message I had heard before. But a message that actually helped me see why Jesus, and specifically his death on a cross, mattered.

I heard from a guest speaker at our church that God has a standard of goodness and if you don’t meet up to it, it’s called sin, and if you die in your sins, the destination is not heaven, but hell.

He went through God’s Ten Commandments and I realized for the first time that I wasn’t a good person, but in fact, I was a liar, a thief, an adulterer (Jesus said if you look with lust, you’re committing adultery in your heart), and a murderer. Jesus said if you hate, without just cause, you’re a murderer.

I realized I wasn’t good... but Bad. God opened up my eyes that if I got what I deserved, it wouldn’t be a reward, but a sentence. It was then, and only then, that what I already knew (that Jesus died for sin) wasn’t just generally nice news for sinners, but really really good news for me.

So... back to Scott. I sadly do not know where Scott will spend be spending eternity. Of course, I hope it’s heaven. I know that unless we believe in the Good News of Jesus, it doesn’t apply to us. And it’s not really believing..... because demons believe in Jesus and it doesn’t help them... it’s trust. I don’t know if Scott trusted that Jesus’ death on the cross paid for his sins and therefore he received forgiveness from God. But I do believe that wherever he is, he wants you to know the truth.

I believe he wants you to consider your life, and all that you’ve done... I believe he wants you to realized that God demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I believe he would want you to know that you broke God’s Law, but (if you’ll in Him) Jesus suffered and died on the cross for you. I believe Scott would want you to know that Jesus didn’t just die, but that God raised Him from the dead three days later.

I believe Scott wants you to pray to God, read your Bible and find a good church family and friends.

It is my prayer and hope that Scott is indeed resting in peace, by the Grace of God. I hope to some day see him again and reminisce about other fun memories.

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