"Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, Behold a true Israelite, in whom is no guile!" Gospel of John 1:47
I've been thinking about the people I have encountered who have died in the last few years. Somehow these people have stood out in my thoughts. I have wondered why the thought of these people sparkle in my memory. So what was it about these people that made them shine? Let's look at the stories of two.
First there's Dave. Dave was a former colleague at my office. He was a scientist at heart. Before I met him, he had worked in cardiac research at a local university. He was thoughtful, articulate, and did not fail to tell you what he thought...about anything. Dave had a strong sense of the right thing to do in any situation. One day, when a group of us were walking in the woods, my knee went over center with a loud crack. I couldn't walk. Dave shouldered half my weight over a quarter mile to help me get out of the woods (pun intended). He then flagged down a car to get me to urgent care.
Dave was also very expressive, but he didn't always use nuanced language. One day, Dave attended my church's Christmas concert and was very impressed. He went to see the pastor afterwards to tell him, "That concert was un-f***ing-believable!" Needless to say, I heard about it.
Dave was hospitable. He invited my wife and I to his home for dinner. He and his wife were gracious hosts. We were made to feel welcome in their space. In fact, wherever Dave was, you felt welcome in his space. Not many people do that these days.
Dave was honest to a fault. He did not fail to express his opinion. There were probably situations when it would have been better not to. If Dave thought something was screwed up, he would say so. Dave had no hidden agendas. What you saw and what you heard was what you got.
Then there was Todd. During his career, Todd had been a construction foreman on large commercial projects, including some overseas. After leaving industry, Todd operated his own plumbing business. I met Todd as the friendly greeter at our local parish.
Todd greeted us warmly when we came into the church. You always felt welcome in his space. If you asked him how he was doing, he would tell you truthfully. If he asked you how you were doing, he would listen, even if the answer wasn't the usual "fine".
From time to time, I would see Todd in other places, like the store. The last time I saw him was at the local grocery store. He said he missed us (my wife and I) at the church we used to attend. Todd indeed made us feel welcome at that church, but too many other things let us know we did not have a place there. So we parted with a hug and a "God bless you". That was the last time I would see Todd alive.
Honest souls make this world a better place because you don't have to mask your feelings around them. You can be who you are. The problem with honest souls is that they are who they are as well. However they don't fit in a world where everyone is in denial about reality to some extent. They are just too damned honest about what they see.
While Dave was initially enthusiastic about our church at the time, he recognized that there was dysfunctional governance and a lack of transparency. He predicted a major crisis at the church and he was right. I was a little too naive to see it at the time.
Todd also saw problems at the parish where we met. He saw problems, but tried to make the best of it by serving others and being a friendly, open person. He recognized other honest souls. He told me his problems and I told him mine. We accepted each other as imperfect people, as simply human.
Then there was Todd. During his career, Todd had been a construction foreman on large commercial projects, including some overseas. After leaving industry, Todd operated his own plumbing business. I met Todd as the friendly greeter at our local parish.
Todd greeted us warmly when we came into the church. You always felt welcome in his space. If you asked him how he was doing, he would tell you truthfully. If he asked you how you were doing, he would listen, even if the answer wasn't the usual "fine".
From time to time, I would see Todd in other places, like the store. The last time I saw him was at the local grocery store. He said he missed us (my wife and I) at the church we used to attend. Todd indeed made us feel welcome at that church, but too many other things let us know we did not have a place there. So we parted with a hug and a "God bless you". That was the last time I would see Todd alive.
Honest souls make this world a better place because you don't have to mask your feelings around them. You can be who you are. The problem with honest souls is that they are who they are as well. However they don't fit in a world where everyone is in denial about reality to some extent. They are just too damned honest about what they see.
While Dave was initially enthusiastic about our church at the time, he recognized that there was dysfunctional governance and a lack of transparency. He predicted a major crisis at the church and he was right. I was a little too naive to see it at the time.
Todd also saw problems at the parish where we met. He saw problems, but tried to make the best of it by serving others and being a friendly, open person. He recognized other honest souls. He told me his problems and I told him mine. We accepted each other as imperfect people, as simply human.
In a world where nearly everyone masks their true intent and feelings, honest souls are a breath of fresh air. Honest souls create an environment without pretense. In a way, honest souls are the answer to Pilate's question, "What is truth?" Honest souls don't just speak facts that are objectively true, although they do. They embody truth. That's what this world needs.
