By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
The text reflects on the recent deaths of two well-known men—Christian opera singer Jubilant Sykes and actor-director Rob Reiner—both allegedly killed by their adult sons in similar stabbing incidents in California. The author contrasts the two men’s lives and legacies: Sykes is portrayed as a devoted Christian who used his musical talent to glorify God, while Reiner is described primarily through his political activism, Democratic influence, and secular beliefs.
The piece emphasizes core Christian doctrines about sin, repentance, salvation through Jesus Christ, and the belief in only two eternal destinies—heaven or hell. It argues that merely admiring Jesus’ teachings is insufficient without true faith and repentance. While expressing some hope that Reiner may have converted before death, the author concludes by urging readers to reflect on mortality, eternal judgment, and the necessity of confessing Jesus as Lord, citing Romans 10:9. The text ends by noting similar reflections shared by Pastor Don Green.
You may have heard that Christian and opera singer Jubilant Sykes and his wife were apparently stabbed to death in their California home this week. Sykes had performed numerous times over the years at John MacArthur-led Grace Community Church, particularly in the Christmas program. He was a noted and respected opera singer. He had a wonderful voice and used it for the glory of the Lord. His death was announced in conjunction with an arrest by alleged perpetrator, Micah Sykes, his 31-year-old son.
A few days later, actor-director Rob Reiner was also stabbed to death at his home in California along with Rob’s wife Michelle. Reiner’s 32-year-old son Nick was arrested as the alleged culprit.
Nick Reiner had publicly discussed his past homelessness and drug addiction struggles, and wrote a book with his father about these struggles. Micah Sykes has a history of schizophrenia, prosecutors said, and apparently was not on his meds at the time of the attack, they said.
I read up on Rob Reiner a bit. I already knew some about Jubilant, having followed his career and enjoyed his music. Reiner, I knew, was a Democrat. I remember when I ran my newspaper I had an opportunity to join a journalist party-line interview phone call with Reiner during the 2004 Presidential Campaign. Reiner was a fervent campaigner for the Democrat nominee. I remember feeling thrilled that I was able to get my voice above the others clamoring to ask him a question. I asked my question and he answered. I got the “get”. As with Sykes, I also knew Reiner from his career. I watched the 1970s comedy TV show All in the Family, as well as enjoyed his direction on my favorite movie, The Princess Bride.
In my reading up on Reiner I discovered not only was Reiner a Democrat, and fervent about it, but he “helped shape California politics” and was a “Democratic political force in California“. Reiner apparently “played a critical role in the legalization of same-sex marriage in California“. (Source)
Politico notes that Reiner cast a long political shadow with a heavy legacy attached. Politico wrote that Reiner “was very involved in Democratic presidential campaigns. He was very close to the Clintons. He was very close to Barack Obama. He was a big supporter of Joe Biden and then Kamala Harris.” (Source).
One man lived his life obeying and loving the Lord, using his skills and talents for God’s glory. The other lived his life for his desires, for evil, and to perpetuate all that is wrong with the world. Of course I do not know for sure the exact location where their souls and eventual fitted bodies will reside forever, heaven or hell. But I can make an educated guess based on what the Bible says. While Sykes is likely gazing at the incarnated, crucified and resurrected holy Jesus in joy and perfect rest, Reiner is likely shaking his fist toward heaven and grinding his teeth in anger.
I wonder how it likely felt for Reiner to have endured the betrayal of the final stab wound from his accused alleged killer son, only to then be cast into stygian darkness and tormented for all the things he THOUGHT he was doing righteously but now discover his deeds, acts, and very self is the lowest kind of evil and an abhorrence to God.
Two different men, two eerily similar deaths. The moral of the story is, we all die. Our souls and bodies are eternal. There are only two places that our soul and specially fitted body reside: heaven or hell. In hell, the specially fitted body will be able to withstand fire and torment, forever. In heaven, the specially fitted body will be able to withstand basking in God’s glory light and to worship him rightly, forever.
The difference is repentance. Sorrow for one’s sins, and we all sin, we are all evil worms from the womb. If we repent and believe on Jesus, who died for our sins and took the wrath that was due us, then we will be saved from that stygian darkness and eternal punishment for sin, since Jesus already took it. We will be in heaven one second after we die.
I often think about people I know who pass, whether far-off celebrity or near relative or friend. One second after they die, their fate is sealed and their surprise and either anger or joy neverending. Did Rob Reiner believe in Jesus to the point of being born again? Likely no, but hope springs eternal. For most of his life he was an atheist, Reiner had said at various times. For a while, he was sympathetic to Buddhism. Just before he died Rob said of the Charlie Kirk killing he believed in the teachings of Jesus, adopted ‘do unto others’, pondered the concept of forgiveness, and thought Erika Kirk’s remarks were admirable. (Source)
Believing in some cherry-picked and scattered teachings of Jesus is not enough, one must believe IN Jesus Himself as the Holy One, while at the same time recognizing one’s own filthiness so we repent. But perhaps the Lord had gripped Reiner’s heart in the end and he had converted. One would hope so.
Two places. We all go to one or the other. The gulf is great but before death it can be crossed by the bridge of repentance and taking Jesus’ outstretched hand.
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (Romans 10:9).
I am not the only one pondering these things. Pastor Don Green of Truth Community Church posted on his Facebook page similar thoughts. I find Pastor Green to be a clear writer with thoughtful insights on the Bible and culture. If you don’t have Facebook I will post the entirety of his comments below. If you do have Facebook, his comments are here.
Keep looking up, both in prayer to the One who hears, and in the expected arrival someday of our beloved Messiah.
Don Green –
I am not a prophet and I hope I am wrong about this.
An entire generation has been born, raised, and graduated since the Columbine school massacre on April 20, 1999. (It’s hard to believe, but anyone under the age of 30 has no meaningful independent memory of that event.)
At the time, I think it is fair to say that Columbine shocked the national conscience. It was just so abominable and unthinkable.
But now, mass shootings at school and college campuses are so common that they are hard to distinguish from one another. They are no less horrific in kind, but Columbine stood as something of a fountainhead. It introduced a new kind of evil to which we have become accustomed and perhaps sadly calloused toward—a seminal event, one might say.
I am sickened by the thought that recent events may prove to have a like influence on the cultural mind.
Ten days ago, Jubilant Sykes was stabbed to death by his own son in his own home. Four days ago, Rob and Michele Reiner suffered the same fate at the hands of their own son.
Such high profile and brutal patricides, it seems to me, cross another line of horrific evil that, once broken, will be increasingly easy to replicate.
Disaffected children have a new model to follow.
I cannot interpret these things as anything other than a further manifestation of the revealed wrath of God as described in Romans 1:18-32, especially 1:28-32, where murder and disobedience to parents are joined together in close context.
That wrath is not against the individual victims as if they were somehow greater sinners than the rest of us (Luke 13:1-5).
Rather, it is the further abandonment of a wicked society to its depraved mind. Having suppressed the knowledge of the truth, we lose the restraining influence of God’s law which commands the honoring of parents and prohibits murder (Exodus 20:12-13).
Absent a profound movement of grace, we can only realistically expect more of the same.
You cannot legislate against this depravity. Only the sustained preaching of the gospel and the new birth can address an evil society such as ours (Romans 1:16-17), in dependence on God to send an awakening as the darkness grows deeper.
(Incidentally, this exposes the futility of the pursuit of politics by the evangelical church. Politics has no power or answers to this depth of satanic evil, as anyone reading Ephesians 6:10-17 should understand.)
It’s time to wake up, be of sober spirit, and be on the alert. We need the cannons of gospel truth for this hour, not the squirt guns of political action.
I am convinced I am not alone in that assessment, though many are subdued in their vocal and visible support.
I am not convinced that, even among so-called evangelical pastors, I am in the majority.
And that concerns me for the future most of all.
the-end-time.org 