Today my post is not political. Far from it. Today I want to skip all that and focus on the things that are truly important; friends and family, and trying to do some good in this world, to leave it, when the time comes , a better place.
A dear friend of mine passed on to the next world last week, but he was the epitome of what I believe to be a wonderful example of doing good in this world and making it just a bit better when you can.
My friends name was Dennis. He was highly educated. A doctor of theology, he was the senior pastor of the church that I attended. He had a wonderful wife and three children and a love for all people no matter their status.
Dennis was, above all else, one of the kindest, non judgmental, humans I ever have known. He was down to earth, right down to his love for gardening. But it was his love for people and his God that made him amazing. When I met him I was a very beat up combat vet, tattooed and ear ringed and perhaps a bit stressed. I was helping out our youth pastor with kids from our church at a youth camp in Arkansas. Being around strangers is not one of my strong points as some of you likely know, but he, and his family, had this openness about them that made you feel comfortable almost immediately. I wound up spending two weeks there with them and it was one of the best experiences of my life, one that I will always remember. I wound up being the camp care taker and I regularly attended his church, eventually becoming a pastor myself. It was there that I really saw him shine.
Our church had a very wide diversity of people. We had dirt poor children and troubled youth. We had senior citizens. We had all colors of the rainbow and a few mixed breeds as well. We had single moms and folks that were likely not here legally, but none of that mattered to him. They were all humans and his brothers and sisters, he treated them all with respect and kindness, no exceptions. He treated everyone the way he would want to be treated ,and the way he believed that God required him to. He did much good and positively effected many lives, including mine, and he will be missed.
One of the things that I appreciate about Judaism is their focus on life in this world. They don't spend time focused on the world to come because they believe that God has put us into this world to do good in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, to make this world a little better in the here and now, knowing that it brings it's own rewards both in the now and in the future.
This is what we need more of in this world. We need people who will make this world better.
I don't think any of us are very happy with the insanity we see going on all over the world and most of us likely feel that there is little we can do to change all of it and you'd be right, but we are not asked by God to do that, some folks certainly, but the vast majority of us are only asked to have to look around us to find little things that we can do, because many times the little things turn out to be the most important. Maybe it's babysitting for a young couple that needs a break. Maybe it's helping an elderly neighbor get his garbage out to the road, maybe it's as simple as a glass of cold water on a hot day.
Anything you can think of can be it. It truly is as simple as this.
Dennis believed in doing the small things, and it shows, in many a changed life.
You will be missed my friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment