Any time death rears its head in Southern Gospel, the entire "family" is affected. When our legends take their final breath here, we tend to reflect on their achievements and think "what a life they had." And, in our minds, we accept the death with a sense of "it's okay - they lived a long time."

Perhaps because it has happened so rarely, the death of a young Southern Gospel performer seems to shake many of us to the core.

When Warren died on Saturday, many hearts of our family skipped a beat. In fact, his death has left many people reeling. First and foremost, at age 34, he was just too young to leave. Our human ways of reasoning do not want to compute the information that he hadn't even reached halfway to retirement age. Secondly, we lost a fine talent. A good singer and tremendous pianist, Warren was molding the Parker Trio into a ministry that was affecting lives nation-wide and in his native Canada.

I first met Warren when he played piano for a South Carolina family, the Merediths. Always polite and friendly, Warren made a positive first impression to all he met. After his departure from that group, we crossed paths rarely, but when we did, it was most often at places like the National Quartet Convention.

There's another factor about Warren's death that has caused practically every traveling member of Southern Gospel to pause: the way he died. Warren, as you probably have read by now, was killed by a driver who apparently failed to see a bright orange bus in a well-lit church parking lot driveway.

Just like Warren, every single one of us who travels by bus or any other large vehicle, has had to direct traffic while the bus is backed into its spot. Many times, I've stood in a highway as my driver would back the bus into a spot next to a venue. I've seen group after group do that - and I see it every weekend. It's become an expected necessity of travel. Truthfully, it's become so common-place that it's an automatic thing to do.

As word of the accident began to make it's way around the cell phones, there was a common phrase being said time and time again: "We do that every weekend." And then, with hardly any exception, came "That could have been us."

Harsh reality.

If there is any consolation in this at all, Warren died while he was involved in his favorite things: Gospel Music and ministry. Early the following morning, he would sing and play and hopefully lead another person - or persons - to the Lord. No doubt, he was looking forward to the rest of 2006 and the opportunities it would be bring.

Though Warren will be temporarily remembered for the tragic way that he died, that thought - with the help of time - will be overshadowed by his contributions, not only to Gospel Music, but to the Kingdom of Heaven. Seeds that Warren planted during his ministry will grow in the coming years and God Himself will show Warren the harvest of his work.

That, friends, is a reality we can all take comfort in.

(To read more, visit SGWire on the Singing News homepage.)