A great man died on Wednesday. His funeral will be tomorrow night. You can read the obituary here.
I came to know him through the kindness of God.
Gene Burgin was the father of Sandy Burgin. Sandy Burgin married David Houston. David and Sandy moved from Florida to Los Angeles in 1981 with a team of eight people to start a church at UCLA. I was their first convert.
Over the years, I have repeatedly marveled at the dramatic change in my life that began twenty eight years ago. I went from a lost, twisted young man who was rapidly destroying his life with illegal drugs and immoral relationships to a reasonably successful father of four children and husband of one wife.
I cannot be at the funeral tonight but I still wanted to pay my respects.
Mr. Burgin, thank you for the way you treated your wife and daughter. Your example made a big impression on your son-in-law (my pastor) and he in turn made a big impression on me. Together, David and Sandy taught my wife and I how to be man and wife. The stories of how you loved your children continue to guide me as I love mine. Although you are gone, your life continues to influence more people than you know. Thank you for living life well.
