Hardly Anyone Knew
As I stepped into the pulpit in the funeral chapel most of the seats were empty. No one came for this event. Actually that wasn’t totally true. The chapel had a seating capacity for about 200 and there were 8 people seated. Part way through the short service three more people joined to make it 11.
Philip passed away on August 5, 2007. His obituary was short. Quote…“Peacefully at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Hospital drive in his 59th year. Son of the late Leonard and Pansy… He will be sadly missed by his friends at the Rubidge Retirement residence. A memorial service will be held at Comstock Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 356 Rubidge Street, Wednesday August 8, 2007 at 3:00 PM. In memory of Philip donations may be made to the charity of your choice.” Enquote.
Philip never married. He had lived with his mother until she died. Then he lived alone until there was a flood and his house was destroyed. He lived in the house that had been destroyed until it was unfit, then authorities moved him to the retirement home. I am not sure of all the details but these are the morsels of info that came my way.
During the years that he lived in his own home he would be considered to be like a “street person” – often sitting on a bench on one of our busy downtown streets. He didn’t bath often and was unkempt by most people’s standards. He just watched the world go by. Few that passed him would know that he did have money to take care of himself, to repair the house and to look after the normal human niceties. But he chose not to. Instead he lived on a fringe in our society away from everyone else. “He was shy”, “A loner” – “…some one that wanted to be by himself” would best describe Philip.
Of the 11 people that attended were 2 cousins. The family is much larger than 2 but no one in his family knew him.
I have a lump in my throat as I write this. If I would have known Philip I would have tried to be his friend. But I remember him sitting on the bench and I had walked by him as well.
The Same Day…
In Toronto there was a funeral for a policeman that was killed in action. Three men trying to flee from the scene of their crime had killed him by running an automobile into him. He was the father of four kids and husband of his wife. Over 6000 fellow policemen joined his family to pay their respects. A majority of the people that attended the funeral, including most of the policemen did not know the officer either but were there to honour him. The millions that watched the TV reporter speak of the funeral and then flash the video clips taken at the funeral gathering did know him either – yet many, many of them felt the grief.
One officer down and one fringe person down... Both unknown... Both in communities that should care…. But both had very different funerals… very different.
As Philip’s cousin read her short tribute she encouraged us all to some time sit on the bench that Philip sat on – if we are every by that area. Then she asked us to think of Philip when we are there. She said, “He would like that I am sure.”
The Preachy Part…
As I prepared for the audience that I would not know – for Philip’s funeral – I thought of Jesus. As Christians we know him as the ‘Son of God’. In my world he takes front row and centre. When I read his story again yesterday I was powerfully moved. He spent most of his time walking into communities and up to the fringe people of his society. If he was in our city today he would likely be sitting on Philip’s bench and talking to the person that now occupies it.
In his world it bugged the daylights out of the ‘Religiously Perfect’ people of his day. They couldn’t stand the fact that he talked to these people let alone touched them.
The resulting short sermon that I preached yesterday got to me – more than anyone else. What do I do for – or – how do I connect with the fringe people in my community? Two simple questions that are bothering me today and I have to deal with them.
I can walk away from them… avoid their rooms in the senior’s residence and even their park benches… but they don’t go away.
I have been asking myself a simple question, “If I was Philip what would it be like?” There is that darn lump in my throat again.
I had a simple thought following all of this. There are more Street People than before. Could it be that many are simply there to be a friend to people that have none?
Today I know where I have to go. I will make my way downtown to sit on the bench and think about this some more. Then I intend to meet one person that is not so nice, not so noisy and has no friends.
What about you? What will you do now?
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Philip passed away on August 5, 2007. His obituary was short. Quote…“Peacefully at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Hospital drive in his 59th year. Son of the late Leonard and Pansy… He will be sadly missed by his friends at the Rubidge Retirement residence. A memorial service will be held at Comstock Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 356 Rubidge Street, Wednesday August 8, 2007 at 3:00 PM. In memory of Philip donations may be made to the charity of your choice.” Enquote.
Philip never married. He had lived with his mother until she died. Then he lived alone until there was a flood and his house was destroyed. He lived in the house that had been destroyed until it was unfit, then authorities moved him to the retirement home. I am not sure of all the details but these are the morsels of info that came my way.
During the years that he lived in his own home he would be considered to be like a “street person” – often sitting on a bench on one of our busy downtown streets. He didn’t bath often and was unkempt by most people’s standards. He just watched the world go by. Few that passed him would know that he did have money to take care of himself, to repair the house and to look after the normal human niceties. But he chose not to. Instead he lived on a fringe in our society away from everyone else. “He was shy”, “A loner” – “…some one that wanted to be by himself” would best describe Philip.
Of the 11 people that attended were 2 cousins. The family is much larger than 2 but no one in his family knew him.
I have a lump in my throat as I write this. If I would have known Philip I would have tried to be his friend. But I remember him sitting on the bench and I had walked by him as well.
The Same Day…
In Toronto there was a funeral for a policeman that was killed in action. Three men trying to flee from the scene of their crime had killed him by running an automobile into him. He was the father of four kids and husband of his wife. Over 6000 fellow policemen joined his family to pay their respects. A majority of the people that attended the funeral, including most of the policemen did not know the officer either but were there to honour him. The millions that watched the TV reporter speak of the funeral and then flash the video clips taken at the funeral gathering did know him either – yet many, many of them felt the grief.
One officer down and one fringe person down... Both unknown... Both in communities that should care…. But both had very different funerals… very different.
As Philip’s cousin read her short tribute she encouraged us all to some time sit on the bench that Philip sat on – if we are every by that area. Then she asked us to think of Philip when we are there. She said, “He would like that I am sure.”
The Preachy Part…
As I prepared for the audience that I would not know – for Philip’s funeral – I thought of Jesus. As Christians we know him as the ‘Son of God’. In my world he takes front row and centre. When I read his story again yesterday I was powerfully moved. He spent most of his time walking into communities and up to the fringe people of his society. If he was in our city today he would likely be sitting on Philip’s bench and talking to the person that now occupies it.
In his world it bugged the daylights out of the ‘Religiously Perfect’ people of his day. They couldn’t stand the fact that he talked to these people let alone touched them.
The resulting short sermon that I preached yesterday got to me – more than anyone else. What do I do for – or – how do I connect with the fringe people in my community? Two simple questions that are bothering me today and I have to deal with them.
I can walk away from them… avoid their rooms in the senior’s residence and even their park benches… but they don’t go away.
I have been asking myself a simple question, “If I was Philip what would it be like?” There is that darn lump in my throat again.
I had a simple thought following all of this. There are more Street People than before. Could it be that many are simply there to be a friend to people that have none?
Today I know where I have to go. I will make my way downtown to sit on the bench and think about this some more. Then I intend to meet one person that is not so nice, not so noisy and has no friends.
What about you? What will you do now?
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Thursday, August 09, 2007
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