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Emmanuel E-pistle
9/21/2009
The death of Don Booth this week has reminded us of what one of our...
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We remember Don Booth
9/21/2009
The death of Don Booth this week has reminded us of what one of our prayers refers to as the "shortness and uncertainty of human life." Don was a larger than life figure in this community for many, many years, and his buoyant, energetic, faithful presence was felt in all aspects of its life. His absence causes us deep sadness as we mourn his loss with his family and all who knew and loved him.
At his funeral, we remembered Don's gifts of humor, hospitality, concern for justice and sensitivity to suffering. Hospitality was his life's work, and he extended those professional skills to serve others. He personally knew the pain of losing loved ones to illness and death, and he acted on his own experience to establish the Hospice network. His concern for "the proper use of God's creation" and for "respecting the dignity of every person" led him to spearhead the anti-gambling movement that has now spread statewide. Reflecting on his life, we saw an example of faith alive in his activity, devotion expressed in service and love spoken through humor and profound connection.
Father Gordon Stenning in his sermon eulogized Don's ability to fan the flames of grass root efforts and to inspire and lead this parish in times when things looked dim. He used the analogy of the phoenix rising from the ashes. Referring to the line from the passage read from Wisdom (3:7) in which (the souls of the righteous) "will shine forth and run like sparks through the stubble..." Fr. Stenning likened Don's life to the fire which begins to burn, blazed hot and bright, and then dies down, but sends its sparks out from the embers.
Our gathering as a parish and as a community yesterday to celebrate and to give thanks for Donald Booth's life and his contributions to our common life was the occasion for sparks of hope and new courage and resolve to fly among us. As we remember Don and shed our tears in sadness, we can also rejoice in the power of his spirit to make those significant connections that last beyond his death and continue to give us encouragement and joy. What better time than now to reconnect as a parish community and to look for new growth from those vital roots that await the watering of our imaginations and faithful service.
Stephanie
