Last week I lost a friend and colleague, whom they are burying today. It is echoed by the autumn colors that surround me in Boston… and I have always loved Autumn; my favorite season when there are seasonal movements. (Some earthly places have more constant, less chameleon, personalities.) This coloured beauty should clash with the tragic sorrow of losing someone so vibrant and still necessary (sorry, God) to the families and communities he belonged to, but strangely, it does not. He loved life and fun, and the Church, and others, and a good party and a worthwhile fight, too much for this to feel wrong! But we miss him; and he shall be missed.
It makes me think about life, so short and fragile… so little time to do something real. to leave a mark. It makes me wonder “if we’re on track, God. Am I missing something, a call, a need, an intuition I forgot to respond to, or didn’t want to. Let me know.”
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The side of Gerard I saw was his commitment to theology as the Church’s indispensable “critical friend” in its service to the world and the reign of God. I worked with him on the executive of INSeCT, of which he was president. He worked tirelessly to get the potential of this network on the radar of its member communities and the universal church as an important for the current moment of theology… we called it kairos, but I think it was he who caught the importance of that name for the time we are in.
It was not always easy going. It is a job on top of other jobs…because of the free time academics nowadays have, right? So we walked Rome from top to bottom for meetings all day, punctuated by pasta, Prosecco and caffe correto, and then into the evening… even when exhausted. Because it was necessary. Because it was right.
But it is the genuine care, the honest vision, the clear speaking critical vision, the innumerable friends, the wicked sense of humor, the unfailing time for a nightcap’s chat that stays. And which I miss, but am grateful for, all at the same time.
For such a beautiful, beautiful life…
So today, I am sad… that kind of sadness that wells up and floods the rest of things. But that’s ok. It makes you want to live in what’s important, to love as much you can.
“Eternal light rest upon him oh Lord …”
Sorry is not the hardest word.
Take care. You write very movingly of him. If you’re not ‘on track’, they need to move the track, methinks. Jx
I love you, brother. Thank you.
Thinking of him, thinking of you – today’s daily texts, that a very popular among my lutheran friends, lead me to Jes 49:6:
“I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation my reach to the end of the world”.
So Gerard has fulfilled his run, serving the light of the nations in a global network. Jesus will grant him salvation and life everlasting. And may we meet again in a truly joyous encounter in eternity.
What a great text for today! Thanks Gunter!
My deepest condolences, Maeve. x
Thank you, Catherine! I hope you are well!
May this quote from Julian of Norwich be your reality today …”.our Lord showed me a spiritual vision of his familiar love. I saw that for us he is everything we find good and comforting. He is our clothing, wrapping us for love, embracing and enclosing us for tender love, so that he can never leave us, being himself everything that is good for us, as I understand it.”
And as James commented if you’re not on track they need to move the track. Be gentle with yourself at this time as He is gentle with you and remember an amazing friend.
Bless you! Thank you, Trish!