Text: Psalm 42:1-4, Philippians 4:4-9
In today’s reading the Apostle earnestly tells us “Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful.”
I remember the joy I had a year ago, when I first met Gary and Norma one Sunday morning after church. We shook hands and introduced ourselves to each other. Norma said something nice about the day’s message, and Gary… Well, I could tell right away that Gary was a gifted person - his presence was pretty special. When you looked him in the eyes, or “through” his eyes … you get what I mean. Gary was authentic. He was the same to everyone, true and genuine, inside and out. That morning, he seemed emotional, tears in his eyes - (later I learned that perhaps his tears were mostly due to the effect of medication he was taking) but it was true to me that I was meeting a person who communicated with people from his heart. Gary was such a generous person. Gary paid attention to people and things, and related with them, in the unity of his brilliant intellect and loving heart. That empathy was Gary’s unique gift, one that many of us loved and admired about him.
I always liked to see Gary and Norma at our church. One very busy Sunday, after church, Gary managed to find me in the crowd, and handed me a note. (It’s this.) Since then, I have kept this note on the bulletin board in my office. In his note, Gary tried writing in Korean, “Good morning, Hanna. How are you today?” “Joh-eun achim hanna. Eotteohge dangsin-ege oneul?” What makes this note pretty special and what makes me smile is, (I remember his glowing face as he passed this note to me) that he didn’t use an easy on-line English-Korean translation app. All by himself, he worked out how to understand the Korean language a bit, and he CREATED his own way of writing Korean! [And it’s a pleasantly understandable Korean! I now know he had a special interest in learning new languages; Norma considers this an example of “Gary things.” When I sat with Norma and her friend Aline, last Monday, Norma said, “there are some Gary things, and UnGary things.” And she commented, “unGary things” are pretty funny. I love both Gary and UnGary things.]
When Norma, Aline and I met together to plan tonight’s service and share our memories and stories, Aline helped us choose the best passages to celebrate Gary’s spirit. When I prepare for a message, I often read the commentary as well as the Bible verses to fully understand the context and the meaning of the words in front of me. This time, as I read the texts, I thought that the commentary is not necessary for tonight. Every word of our chosen passages is about Gary. Gary is the commentary. He was a living example of these things the Bible earnestly states. “Always think about what is true, what is noble, right and pure.” Gary had a deep thirst for the Truth. He was not afraid of showing his tears. He was able to be true to himself. He could tell his troubles to God. He liked to walk in Nature, he also liked to run. Gary always liked and chose to be with people and be their trusted friend, like the Psalmist sings “I remember how I used to walk along with the crowd of worshipers. I led them to the house of God. We shouted with joy and gave thanks as we went to the holy feast.” That is Gary.
I visited Gary and Norma at their home a few times, and I always enjoyed listening to their stories. Just like me, some of you might have YOUR favourite Gary stories, and we will hear more of them tonight. The story of crossing over a river on an oil drum. Picking a mushroom in a hospital garden when he saw this small beauty, after seeing his mother at the hospital with his girlfriend, Norma. When Gary spoke, I heard the tenderness and the character of a gifted person who loved the mystery of nature and of the small things in the world. My favourite story is the one when Gary was canoeing and he was alone in the middle of an isolated river. Something happened to his paddle, making it useless - just imagine. Then after a short while, out of nowhere, another paddle came down the river, right to him. Serendipity!
If you have known Gary, met him, have been a friend to him, I am sure that you have more stories to tell us like this one. Especially when you have looked ‘through’ his gorgeous blue eyes – like I did – you know that there was an unusual and beautiful and warm Universe inside of Gary’s eyes and mind. Gary trusted the Universe and the Creator who designed it, and the Universe also trusted him. Now Gary has just crossed over a river none of us have yet seen. Our journey in this universe is to trust the Creator. I trust that the Unknown world – Heaven – is unusual, beautiful and warm. It’s love. It’s a complete, encompassing love that has no end in its power that is being poured out toward each and every one of us and to the whole of humanity. That Love is as big as the Universe of billions and billions of stars, planets, and the earth. May Gary continue to journey in our and God’s Universe and bear witness to God’s love and justice for all people, like a brilliant star. We just need to look up at God’s night sky to meet Gary. When you do it, remember, “Be joyful.” - Gary belongs to the Christ of the Universe.
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