“Everything he does is just and fair.” (Deuteronomy 32:4, NLT)

Wednesday, August 5, 2020. 6 a.m. We awoke to an unusually glorious view over the Links of Brora. The sun was shining. The flags were limp. The North Sea was calm. The birds were chirping. The sea otters were at play. Another day in Scotland’s Paradise.

As my first cup of coffee was brewing, I checked my emails for the Links Players’ devotional. Instead, a Jeff Hopper email simply said, “Sorry to hear that Cullan passed.”

In the snap of a finger, Paradise was gone.

Cullan Brown, age 20, had died. Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, had taken the life of a rising star on the Kentucky golf team. All-SEC Freshman. Made the cut last summer in a PGA Tour event. Shot a 29 on the back nine the first time I ever watched him play. Not to mention a gourmet chef, expert outdoorsman, and 4.0 student. And best of all, he was a Jesus lover. Shortly after he arrived on UK’s campus, he wanted to meet with me for an hour. I soon realized his main purpose was to let me know he and I were on the same page when it came to Jesus.

But now he was gone.

The first news article I could find quoted a former Kentucky player, Chip McDaniel, who tweeted, “This world just isn’t fair.” Amen, Chip.

Thousands of people had prayed. Jack Nicklaus and Bernhard Langer had sent hopeful messages to Cullan. But none of that seemed to matter.

Chip’s tweet sent me to the Bible, looking for the word fair. I could not find the word as we define it 2020. In the King James Version (1611), the NASB (1902) or the RSV (1952), the word fair only meant the color of your skin, or the beauty of a young lady, or maybe the weather.

Only modern Bible versions use the word fair. Such as: “Everything he does is just and fair.” (Deuteronomy 32:4, NLT). Or: “If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?” (Romans 3:6, NLT).

The older translations simply say God is Just. God is Righteous. God is Upright. God is Awesome. I suspect that modern translators may have fallen prey to the presumption that God needs to be “fair,” as we understand it.

This Awesome God knew his purpose for Cullan Brown. It was not the PGA Tour.

Instead, the plan of this Righteous God was to plant Cullan, a small mustard seed from Eddyville, Kentucky (population 2,554), in the hearts of thousands.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.... the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31, NRSV)

When Cullan was told he had cancer, he never complained that this world isn’t fair, even though it isn’t. That’s because he knew that God is Just, Righteous, Upright, Awesome!

I imagine the scene on August 4, 2020. Jesus embraced Cullan in his new body and said, “I love you so much.” Cullan nodded approval and smiled as Jesus continued, “Your journey on earth seemed short, but my purpose was for you to lay down your life to save others. I just knew you’d be OK with that.” Cullan smiled again and nodded, “Of course, of course.”

I can actually hear Cullan then responding in his unique Kentucky twang, “Jesus, thank you so much. Now though, please just make sure everybody who knows my story knows that you love them, and if they trust in your love, the plan always works out.” Now Jesus smiled. “Of course.”

Perhaps this conversation even happened walking down a fairway. Since Jesus is too smart to play golf, he would be Cullan’s caddie. Jesus loves to caddie for his children.

So, the world is not fair. But God is Just, Right, Upright and Awesome. RIP Cullan.