Many people ask this question and the answer is simple: we lived in paradise and when Rap left this world, he went to paradise…aka heaven. Rap was raised as a Catholic, but hadn’t been to church in at least 15 years when he started going to non-denominational Christian churches in Honolulu. It was then that Rap accepted Jesus into his life.
Excerpt from Paradise to Paradise: The Rap Reiplinger Story, p.245-246:
Shortly afterwards, Rap had a gig on a neighbor island and ended up sitting next to his old friend, Leon Siu on an airplane. The last time they had seen each other was when Leon came into Audio Media recording studio to play banjo on “Ballad of Shige & the Goat,” for Rap’s Strange Bird LP.
Rap knew that Leon was a Christian from their conversations when Leon’s marriage broke up a few years earlier. “He was already aware of the fact that I was going through this crisis,” recalled Leon, “and he would say, ‘How are you doing?’ And I would say, ‘I’m ok. Jesus is helping me through this.’ ”
Leon thinks they were both traveling to play at a benefit when he saw Rap at the airport that day in the fall of 1983. “And so, we sat next to each other and the moment he sat down, he said, ‘Well, I gave my life to Jesus.’ And I said, ‘What?’ And he said, ʻYeah, I came to the Lord. I accepted Jesus.’ And he was quite excited about it. And I asked, ‘How did that happen?’ He said that he was at Kaimukī Christian and that he had grabbed your hand when the invitation came. It sounded like it was his idea, or he just got moved by the Spirit to go and he grabbed your hand and said, ‘Let’s go.’ The way he described it was, he did this with enthusiasm. He wanted to turn his life over to Jesus.”
Leon had known him since Rap was 17 years old, and because they had known each other for so long, “I knew that this was something life changing for him,” said Leon, “that Rap was sincerely touched and he was sincerely changed. I could see that in him.” Leon even recalls Rap telling him, “I’m a changed person. This is different.” [end excerpt]
It was that kind of raw faith that got Rap to the good place, the eternal paradise, when his time came – which everyone who loved(s) him would agree was far too soon. Leading up to that time, Rap was absorbing the bible like a scholar and calling Jesus his “buddy.”
Leon Siu with Yemun Chung, former manager of The Krush in 1984.
No need to tell you that today we live in turbulent times. No need to recite the long list of things that can have us on an endless cycle of worry – like a hamster racing in its wheel – worry can get us nowhere fast while leaving us without any real peace.
Rap’s good friend and fellow Booga Booga member, Ed Kaʻahea noticed how “really, really peaceful” Rap was during this period of his life. That was because he had the peace that only Rap’s “buddy” Jesus can deliver. Ed, by the way is now a pastor on Kauaʻi with senior Pastor Jason Kerr at Pukas Ministries in Kapaʻa. If you’re ever on the Garden Isle, I highly recommend checking it out.
There’s a quote from Ed on the homepage of this website, and also from Leon, saying what they thought of their good friend’s biography. I hope you will read the book too, and see how faith played out in Rap’s life, plus find out what addiction and mental health lessons you can take away from Rap’s story. Maybe see if Rap’s journey in any way mirrors your own.
You could think of it as a good way to pass the time while waiting for the coronavirus to pass! Thoughts? I would love to hear from you! Please email me by clicking on the contact link.
Stay well and healthy everyone!
Aloha,
Leesa