He died at age 63...
Illustration
He died at age 63. Like so many these days, he suffered for
weeks with a debilitating disease, and to the people who suffered
with him, death came as a blessing, a relief from the pain and
struggle. He had been a churchman, held every office a layman
could hold in a large metropolitan church: usher, lay reader,
council chairman. Whenever the church was open, he was there,
usually first, and with the key in his hand. No one could doubt
that this man was met at the gates of heaven, first by Peter with
the key in his hand. At his funeral we celebrated his
resurrection as at Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
All except one -- his eldest daughter. She hadn't visited
much during the lingering illness, couldn't stand his pain. She
didn't participate much in the planning for the funeral, wasn't
even really all there during the service -- didn't want to
remember him as sick and emaciated, wanted him back alive and
well. She was angry. Why did he leave her? Now she was alone and
had lost her best friend in the world. She was bereft and
suffering and sad and enjoying the attention it brought her. Her
loss. That's all she could think of.
Did she really have "Her Father's Eyes," as the song goes?
Had she listened at all during those years in church? Was she
listening at all when friends and family came to comfort her with
the words that comforted, even fueled his life?
-- Mosley
weeks with a debilitating disease, and to the people who suffered
with him, death came as a blessing, a relief from the pain and
struggle. He had been a churchman, held every office a layman
could hold in a large metropolitan church: usher, lay reader,
council chairman. Whenever the church was open, he was there,
usually first, and with the key in his hand. No one could doubt
that this man was met at the gates of heaven, first by Peter with
the key in his hand. At his funeral we celebrated his
resurrection as at Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
All except one -- his eldest daughter. She hadn't visited
much during the lingering illness, couldn't stand his pain. She
didn't participate much in the planning for the funeral, wasn't
even really all there during the service -- didn't want to
remember him as sick and emaciated, wanted him back alive and
well. She was angry. Why did he leave her? Now she was alone and
had lost her best friend in the world. She was bereft and
suffering and sad and enjoying the attention it brought her. Her
loss. That's all she could think of.
Did she really have "Her Father's Eyes," as the song goes?
Had she listened at all during those years in church? Was she
listening at all when friends and family came to comfort her with
the words that comforted, even fueled his life?
-- Mosley
