One of the great joys during the Christmas season that we all have is receiving Christmas Cards from family and friends. All of you who are here with us at Saint John the Evangelist, along with those that may be away for the holiday, are not just a congregation. We are a Parish Family. It does not matter if you are here at St. John for the first time or you have been here for decades. Our family takes care of each other and everyone we come into contact with. We have been through a few trials and tribulations this past year, and not only have we survived, we have thrived. I thought I would deviate from my normal church business mentality for my weekly column for Christmas, and speak a little bit more from the heart.
If you happen to be in church when you are reading this message, please take a moment to look around you. Yes, the church building is battered and even broken from Hurricane Irma. Its roof must be replaced. The ceiling requires extensive repairs. The doors. The walls. Even the pews. They all must be replaced or repaired from this massive storm that caused over $4 million in damages. But I am not asking you to look around the building. Please take a look at the faces of all the others sitting (or standing or kneeling) with you in our church. Take a moment to smile or wave, or say “hello” and “Merry Christmas”. You can never tell where someone might be on their life’s journey when they arrive in our pews. They may have had the most breathtaking experience in their life. Their loved one may have proposed to them. They may have seen their family for the first time in years. They could have found out that their cancer is in remission. It could be the most desperate moment they have ever faced. They are morning their spouse who passed away last month. They may have lost their job. Or, they could be in the throes of deep personal pain. They may have hurt the person they love and have lost that relationship. They could be struggling with addiction. They could be questioning the very existence of God, and even perhaps themselves.
Guess what I have learned in my time here at St. John about all of those faces around you? I have learned that love is the only thing that every single person needs. Love that grabs hold of your heart and drives you to embrace and laugh or cry with that person as they laugh or cry. Sometimes both happen at once. That is what Christmas means to me. It is a chance to celebrate the love God has for us and that we have for each other. I can tell you I did not always know this truth.
I remember a Christmas that I was one of those faces you just glanced at. I remember staring up at the night sky at the thousand stars and screaming out at the dark, caught in my own hatred and anger. The only way I was able to find my way back was because others loved me. They gave me something I was not willing to even give myself, forgiveness and pure love. Their support and encouragement has brought me to where I am now, in service to all of you as the General Manager of this amazing Parish Family.
My wife has been telling the story of the first day after Hurricane Irma and how we arrived here at St. John as soon as we returned to the area. She came with me. She saw the tension throbbing in my neck as we drove through the trees that covered 111th Avenue, power lines snapped and poles bent sideways. She knows just how much I have dedicated and devoted to our church and when we arrived she saw the shock and despair that I felt at the state of the campus and the realization of the magnitude of what occurred. However, because of her love of me, that was only momentary. It was replaced with determination and purpose. We must take care of the community. So many are suffering; we must help. The love and purpose spread like wildfire. For two weeks straight, our Parish Family came together and set up a donation center that fed, clothed and served hundreds of people all over the area. Perhaps the training I had with FEMA and the military helped organize this tremendous effort. I know I felt the love emanating from all the dozens of volunteers that gave of themselves even when their own homes were damaged and without power. They were here at St. John because they truly cared for those in need. That is real love.
I really do not know if there is a way I could ever express my gratitude for our Parish Family in a way that would come close to what I feel. Please remember that this love, God’s Love, is for all of us and for us to give out freely and completely to everyone. That is the greatest Christmas gift you can give.
Merry Christmas to All!