john home






	Continued to-like list. As his family said, "He was wise without being arrogant." There was a humility in his demeanor, a conviction that he was blessed with a perfect life at the best time in history, through no achievement of his own, and he needed to share that good fortune with others. Consequently, he was the consummate host and everyone was proud to be his friend. Not surprisingly, John didn't like conflict. That was evident in John's relationship with his next younger brother, Doug. Doug said there wasn't a day went by in their youth that he didn't pick a fight with John. He wanted, just once, to gain superiority over his older, bigger brother. So he would taunt him and pester him and challenge him to fight until John got fed up and bopped him with his fist. It only took one punch. Except for the day John tried to hit him with a baseball and ended up throwing it through the living room window as Doug ducked out of the way. And of course, little Dougie was totally innocent





		There was one violent incident in John's past. When Doug was a baby, John shoved his crib across the floor. It crashed into the wall and Doug fell out onto the floor. Maybe that latent memory is what caused Doug to spend so much energy badgering John. Finally, at age 16, John's maturity prevailed and Doug learned from him how to grow up. They've been good friends ever since. But the friendly banter that continues to characterize their family gatherings was something foreign to John's philosophical mind set. He couldn't relate to these frivolous ways of interacting with each other.His siblings say that he had the same moral convictions of his mother without the religious part. And yet, his Catholic upbringing made an indelible imprint on him. When we met together a week ago Saturday, John said that his relationship with God had not changed as a result of his cancer.

He wasn't angry with God or shaken in his faith. He knew there were no easy answers. He still trusted in God's care and was fed by the hidden well of faith deep inside him. We can be assured that the promise Jesus makes to his disciples is true for John too. "In my Father's house are many dwelling places...! go to prepare a place for you... so that where I am, there you may be also."As we mourn John's death, we have the hope that nothing will separate us from the love of God. God will not abandon us, even when we rail at God over our loss. Our trust in that promise encourages us to bring our angry, hurt, guilty selves before our merciful God. As we struggle to understand God in the face of senseless loss, we rediscover God as the One who suffers with us. Not only suffers with us, but has the desire to make something new out of our despair. As the psalmist writes, "You are the God who works wonders; with your strong arm you redeemed your people." There is hope for the future, despite the sorrow that colors our life today.
Home			Page5