Rick Warren Believes Son is in Heaven Despite Tragic Suicide, 'Matthew Knew the Lord...He Just Had a Tortured Mind' (VIDEO)

 

Rick warren
(Photo : Screen-grab )

During a special event motivated by the suicide of his son Matthew, Pastor Rick Warren and his wife Kay Warren share openly about their son and his struggles.

A year ago, Warren and his wife received the news that their youngest son of three children, Matthew, 27, had killed himself with a shotgun at his California, residence. Matthew had bought the gun over the Internet illegally and used it to shoot himself.

Upon hearing the news Warren tweeted a message to the person who sold his son the gun. "Someone on the Internet sold Matthew an unregistered gun," the Pastor tweeted to his nearly one million followers. "I pray he seeks God's forgiveness. I forgive him."

The couple honestly shared their thoughts about their late son, during an interview with BreakingChristianNews over the weekend during an event called "The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church," held in Saddleback Church in which Warren serves as senior Pastor. Mental health experts and clergy joined them

"Matthew had a tender heart and a tortured mind. He was a brilliant kid," Warren said of his son.

"The Purpose Driven Life" author went on to say Matthews's teachers believed he was brilliant even though he struggled to adjust. "When he started seventh grade, he lasted about two weeks, (School said) 'Matthew's not going to last Junior High because you have to change teachers every period, rather than having the same teacher.' They said that we could take him out of school for two years and 'he'd still be smarter than any kid here.'"

Warren continued, "He was probably the most courageous man I've ever met because, at seventeen, he came to me in tears and said, 'Dad, it's obvious that I'm not going to get well. We've gone to all the best doctors, we've had the best therapy, we've had the best prayers, and so why can't I just go to Heaven? I know I'm saved. I know I'm going to Heaven, but why can't I go to Heaven right now?' And I told him, 'Matthew, you may want to give up, but, as your father, I must always have hope and believe that there is an answer out there. So you might give up, but I cannot give up.

"He made it for ten more years and was very courageous. And if he were able to talk to me today from Heaven-which he can't-I know he would say, 'Dad you were wrong,'" Warren added. "I would say, 'What do you mean?' and then he'd say, 'It's so much better than you explained it. I can't wait for you to get here.'"

The Pastor went on to say, "Trying to understand Heaven is like an ant trying to understand the Internet. They don't have the brain capacity. So if I didn't have the hope of Heaven, I'd be in ultimate despair, but because Matthew knew the Lord, and put his hand in the Lord's hand many years ago, and walked with Christ for many years, I have this hope. He just had a tortured mind."

The popular Pastor was asked if he would ever get over losing his son to suicide, and he firmly said, "No, you never get over it-you just get through it. In fact, I did a whole six week series here at Saddleback on 'how to get through, what you never get over.'"

His wife Kay, also shared on her son, "He was so compassionate," Warren interrupting her, added, "He was also witty."

Kay then continued, "Witty, funny, but deeply compassionate. He was a compassionate warrior. He tried to help people even though he, himself, was so depressed. He would be on chat rooms and he would respond back to others with problems. He would try to get me to help people and say, 'Would you financially help this person?'"

She also added that Matthew "had a wonderful demeanor" and would stop on the side of the road if there were people in need to try and help them.

"He just had a heart for other people who were hurting and fought really hard for others who were struggling," Kay maintained. "He'd come out of a hospitalization, and have a list of people that he wanted to be praying for. So he was extremely compassionate for those who were suffering in the same way that he was."

Warren returned to preach at Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California, after a 16-week absence and his first sermon was titled 'Never Waste Your Pain.'