Three Men

 May 27, 2022

Three men asked today. Two have no discernible faith they practice, the other Jewish in both heritage and practice. The latter has never met my son; the former are our mechanic and a local odd-jobber. 

I met with Clark to begin Spanish lessons. He is a retired Spanish professor from our local SUNY college who agreed to tutor me just because we are friends. He also happens to be Jewish. The lesson was somewhat informal, and during the course of our conversation he asked me how Nate is doing. 

Tommy is our local odd-jobber. He plows snow in the winter, runs backhoe, hauls gravel and does whatever needs to be done by way of moving dirt. He asked about Nate.

Adam is one of three mechanics who has worked on our vehicles for years. Nate was the first to have them service his vehicles, and has bought a couple from them. He’s spent a fair amount of money having them keep his rather high-mileage vehicles up and running. They asked about him when I picked up my truck from having them replace the rack and pinion steering after my power steering went out last week.

Many of those who over the past month have asked about him are active Christ-followers, but perhaps as many who make no such profession of faith. Each in his or her own way has reached out in support of Nate and ourselves. When I read in the paper or hear on the news of people who are so isolated from significant and meaningful human contact that they can without compunction take another’s life, I am aware that the life I know, with the many caring people in it, is almost nonexistent in our modern world. People live in cities surrounded by others, and are still alone and aloof. 

Gun violence is in the news again, but what doesn’t get said is that most of it is death by suicide; people (mostly men) who don’t believe there is a single other person for whom they matter enough to keep living. I and my family are surrounded by people who care enough to ask, and even if they aren’t normally praying people, will say a prayer for Nate. We are blessed to have these people in our lives, both in and outside the church. This experience makes me aware of the many who don’t believe anyone cares, and drives me to prayer and to making more of an effort to listen and let everyone I meet know they have at least one person who cares enough to pray and to be a friend.