Our congregation lost a young man to death this month.  Tom Hamilton died during the course of heart surgery.  He was only 57 years old.  That's too young to die.

     Following his death I met at the church with Jan, Kate, and Sarah, his grieving wife and daughters. The holiest ground I walk as a pastor is the ground tread by grieving families.  Together we remembered, we lamented, tears were shed, and because we knew Tom would want this, some of our tears were laced with holy laughter.

     Jan told me something that day that jolted my body with electricity; she said that Tom loved the benediction I say at the end of each of our Sunday worship services.  She said he especially liked this part ... "we are free to choose any road and any road we choose, Christ will walk with us..."

     I didn't know that this bit of theology meant so much to Tom.  I know it means the world to me.  I believe that the Living Spirit of Christ calls us every day to make good choices: choosing love over hate, forgiveness over bitterness, community over isolation.     But, God help us, being human means from time to time we make bad choices: anger over patience, fear over courage, jealousy over contentment.

     What this bit of theology means is that the Living Spirit of Christ is always closer to us than our skin and more intimate with us than our beating hearts.  It means that this Spirit walks with us even when we enter into the spiritual dimension after our body dies.

      Another thing I learned that day about Tom was that he was a bird lover.  He especially loved hummingbirds, and whenever he saw one, like he did sometimes in his backyard, in the words of his daughters, "his face would light up like a child's."

     I'm a bird lover too, and like Tom, I really love hummingbirds.  Last summer my family and I were eager and attentive hosts for a hummingbird family that zoomed around our house and gardens every day.  A few times they even flew into our open garage for a visit!

    One thing I've learned about hummingbirds is you don't find them; they find you.  There you are sitting on your porch, or mowing the lawn, and whoooom! -- out of nowhere you are face to face with a hovering hummingbird saying hello.

     How Christ-like.  No matter where I went in my yard last summer, the hummingbirds found me.  And no matter what road we choose today, Christ will walk with us.  Our congregation lost a young man to death this month but we did not lose his spirit: the same way we never lose Christ's spirit. 

     Fly today Tom, fly like a hummingbird.  As should we all; why wait?


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