Many of you were powerfully moved by my recent post Best. Life. Ever, in which my friend Jack shared reflections from his journey with ALS.  Reader Steven summarized this well:  “I am touched at the deepest level.  May the great spirit we all share grant me such grace.”  My sentiments exactly.

Sadly, I now need to tell you that Jack passed away, very peacefully, on July 27.  As he shared with you, his disease progressed very rapidly and gave him less time than he—or any of us—would have wished.  True to his character, Jack signed off on his last missive to his support group by saying, “You have blessed my life and I continue to feel your love.  I said it once before and it remains true today: Best. Life. Ever!”

As I shared with our seminary community, it’s hard to find a bright side to losing a friend as dear as Jack, especially to a disease as awful as ALS.  The brilliance of Jack’s light is why those who knew him feel the darkness of his absence so profoundly.  But as I centered myself last Sunday morning, I remembered a post from Jack just a couple of weeks ago, and I want to share it with you now.

One of Jack’s final adventures he entitled Operation Chaplain Splashdown, wherein a group of friends rigged a river raft so he could take one last float down a beloved river.  In his own words, “Operation Chaplain Splashdown was a grand success!  It was amaaaaaazing and refreshing to be in the Clark Fork again.  I didn’t wash off upon arriving home.  I wanna hold on to the river a little longer.“

I didn’t note the double entendre of the title until after Jack was gone, but I know his mind well enough to feel confident it was intentional.  Jack has now splashed down—returned home—after his long journey among us.  But he left us this beautiful picture from that trip, and I offer it to you today.  Savor the love that surrounds Jack, then blow it up nice and large on your screen, and savor the love that exudes from Jack’s face.  This is how Jack would love to be remembered, I think.  Blessings to you all …