Above my church office door is a quote, “Preach faithfully &
Love genuinely.”- John Gibson, jr.
I recall
the very first professor I met and sat under at New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary, It was Dr. John Gibson. This bald man, with a crooked walk and
crooked nose grabbed my hand shook it firmly saying, “Hi I’m the ugliest, bald
headed preacher you’ll ever meet, How ya feelin’”?
Little
did I know that this strange man with a very crooked nose would be the closest
thing that I would encounter to a Rabbi-Disciple relationship in New Orleans.
If memory serves correctly, I took 28 hours of courses with Dr. Gibson. I would
even sit in on courses that I had already taken just to refine my understanding
of hermeneutics and preaching. One day, as I continued my path of taking
courses Dr. Gibson, pulled me aside and said, “Mario, you have the potential to
be a great preacher, let me help you.” This simple request of a loving
professor became a ten year long relationship of encouragement and wisdom.
Through
our time together Dr. Gibson not only encouraged me in preaching, but in
academics. Long before I finished my Bachelors Dr. Gibson began calling me Dr.
Melendez… “You gotta admit it’s got a ring.” “We need more people like you to
be docs, sound in doctrine and multi-ethnic to speak to more peoples.” When I
struggled through my dating life He encouraged me to leave one girl and date
what would ultimately become my wife. When I struggled with the call of
ministry, he pulled me aside and reminded me of the potential of preaching he
originally heard in me. As time went on, and I obeyed his urging to pursue
Rebekah, he urged me to study at the Stephen Olford Center of Preaching at
Union University. The means in which he told me to go to Memphis was by dancing
and singing a song in the middle of his driveway, “Either be with the one you
love, or you’ll love someone you can be with…” – A memory not easily forgotten.
Every time I’d voyage back to New Orleans I’d be sure to swing by the Gibson’s
to hug John, tell him that I love him and ask his wisdom on whatever the life’s
current issue. In 2015 I struggled to remain in a particular PhD program, so
Dr. Gibson suggested I return to NOBTS, for they had opened up a new program
that He thought was “up my bayou.” I looked forward to renewing our weekly
sessions of wisdom.
Sadly the beginning of the 2015
fall semester opened up with a tragedy. I was notified late on a Monday night,
my beloved professor, mentor and friend took his own life. In the past, I have
mourned the loss of a mentor, the firing of a professor, and the suicide of a
friend, but I have never mourned all three at once. I have fluctuated from
moments of tears, to moments of terror. As you can imagine my mind wondered… if
a spiritual great in my life lost hope, then how do I maintain?
Of course I knew the answer to my
question, but Dr. Gibson’s son said it eloquently at his funeral, “Dad’s identity
was not found in the brokenness of sin, but in the redeeming love of Jesus.”
This is how we young preacher boys maintain… our earthly mentor is gone, but
our eternal savior remains. Ed Stetzer recently said, "God reigns and His authority is not threatened
when His children fail... God's grace is sufficient for the shepherd who falls,
and the flock left vulnerable."
I and other
mentee’s of Gibson, have in recent gotten together to drink coffee in his
honor. Our parting reflection was on Dr. Gibson’s last lesson to us boys, in
his death. - best quoted from a Gospel song…
Sin will take you farther than you
wanna go
Slowly but wholly taking control
Sin will leave you longer than you
wanna stay
Sin will cost you far more than you wanna pay.
His honest
love of people and relentless positive nature pushed me to remain in ministry,
marry my bride, attend Union University, and now pursue a doctorate. Though his
faith failed on earth, he undoubtedly got the strongest "well done good
and faithful servant" that heaven has heard in a long time.
I continue
in his honor, “Preaching faithfully and loving genuinely.”
