I am in a class/group discussion at my church right now that is really an incredible experience. The idea is that you share with the other members of your group your own "spiritual biography." Today was the third week, and each week we've heard from a different person in our group. Two of the six people in this class are gentlemen who I am guestimating are in their 80s. Both seem to be in good health and very active, long-time members of the church. Before this class started I "knew" both of them in that I had greeted them at church services and potluck suppers, but other than that knew virtually nothing about them.
Last week we heard from one of the men, and today we heard the story of the other. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to both of them tell their life stories, and their own quest to "find" God.
Here is what I have learned from them.
1) Age doesn't give you extra insights into your faith. Both men have expressed their lifelong struggle with doubts about their faith, and their relationshiop with God.
2) Lives of quiet greatness can be lives well lived. Both of these men are well educated, have had interesting careers, served in the armed forces and have raised families. Both are quite humble about what they have achieved in their lives, but just listening to them tell their stories is fascinating. I hate to be all Tom Brokaw here, but they are part of the reason it is called the "greatest generation."
3) Men of that age have such a respect for each other. Last week one of the men was talking about his late wife (he's a widower) and the other man, who has known him for years, smiled and said what a "peach" or (some cool Forties word like that) his wife had been. Watching these men talk to each other in front of the rest of us, you realize that the friendships forged over decades ascend to a whole different level than the ones we are accustomed to in our mobile society today.
I feel so honored to have heard their stories and been able to share my own thoughts with them. Here's the sad part...if it weren't for this class I can't imagine that I would have ever had a reason to have listened to them tell their stories, and learned so much about them. And I would have missed out on something really special.
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2 comments:
I'm glad your getting something out of this Class/Discussion type experience. When I was involved in this same sort of experience, I did not find myself thinking any of those things. My theory was that I had a really bad group.
It sounds as though this has been enlightening.
I wish our Dad had talk more about his life. I'm sure we would have learned at lot. Although, his silence was also very educational!We are, however, learning some things about him thru his letters to Mom when they were apart do to work and war. I don't think he liked to hear himself talk because he was more interested in what everyone else had to say.
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