“In Death” (Matthew 28:20)

What can I say?
Words will not fill
The gap my mentor leaves –
For, “Having gone”
From Scotland –
Now we grieve
His loss to land
Beyond this one,
Of Kingdom-layer
As well –

Lord,
Now the loss,
Though hardly unexpected,
Fills all our hearts
With emptiness –
He’s gone –

His era is
Now over.

He said his peace –
And yet in final
Gesture of good wit
He said it well –
Baptize? Make jokes?
Or photograph the scene?
The essence of Your word
To me,
Through his
Now final
Note?

“You make the choice
There, Stu;
For you can go
And do
Whatever part
You wish –
For its community
That balance takes
As home,
Not Me or you –
For we’re too small –
And yet
Within this larger frame,
We find our
Part – a forest
Is of Pines
Both separate,
Yet of a whole
Quite firm entrenched
In crevices
In rock.

He showed that way
To those of us
Who, mentees at his side,
Grew strong
Within the forest
He held out.

Well, Lord,
He’s gone –
But not the
Forest of community
His presence
Fostered in our midst –
Inviting each
To enter in;
To rise up like
Some pine –
Not lonesome
On some cliff,
But rather,
Part of larger
Scene –

That we, together
Here in life
Like forest sweeps
Might be –
Yet offer each
Protection of the whole,
As he,
In kindly word
And welcomed home,
Gave us protection
From the storms of life –
To grow up,
Take our places
In the grove;
And give to other trees
A chance as well,
To grow up –
To mature –
And all the while
Both pour out life,
And humbly also take
Life’s proffered gift
Of shelter
And of food.

Lord, thanks for this –
His presence in our
Midst –
Transplanted once
From Scotland’s
Misty moors
To here –
Who’s gone
And yes, whose
Life abides here still
Within the lives
Of other trees –
And seedlings
Yet unborn.

Lord, thanks for Bob –
And for
His many gifts
Here in this land.

Thanks Lord for this.

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