Who was Robin? Why was his wake powerful enough to usher in the meaning of Advent in a real way? On the eve of the first Sunday in Advent, like balm to my bruised soul, I was about to find out!
Colleague phoned to ask the difference between a wake and a funeral – he was unfamiliar with the rituals, being of a different set of customs. And, several of us attended Robin’s wake – the informal gathering of friends and family of a deceased before the formal send-off of a funeral. The atmosphere was quite astounding, as were the ways in which the event unfolded! Let me tell you about it?
Oh how heart-wrenching it must be for a parent to lose an offspring! But, as I expressed my sympathies to Robin’s father, the gentleman said with conviction that he was so glad to see his son released from pain. That sentiment obviously transcended his deep personal loss of a fine son! How amazing! But this seemed to permeate the feelings of Robin’s other loved ones too! In turn they each spoke about his quiet but selfless ways – he had been an intellectual, much accomplished, wealthy man who cared for those around him above himself. They spoke of how he planned and generously paid for the needs of his parents, aunts, nieces and nephews even while suffering the painful ravages of a terminal disease. They paid tribute to having been blessed by knowing him instead of mourning their personal losses.
His stoic young widow recounted how he was always pre-occupied with the welfare of his loved ones, and of his leaving specific instructions for her to be cared for and his admonitions to keep herself safe. The photos on the screen shouted out the closeness of the relationships among all those connected with Robin which left no doubt of the community spirit that flowed so naturally among them all, year in, year out. I was moved by this wonderful phenomenon that exists in the midst of the Me! Me! Me! of our times. Even their church family spoke of this rare, binding communal spirit that Robin had inspired in the lives he touched, even among the less advantaged. What genuine, touching, concern – it was THE impressive thread which ran through the entire evening, spawning an atmosphere of hope and reality for those who would purpose to live out their convictions without succumbing to the ravages of brutal carelessness that often lashes out in the name of ‘survival-of-self’.
At sporadic intervals verses of Scripture were displayed and songs with deeply meaningful words were sung with gusto by those present. They somehow blended so well with the spontaneous testimonials and montage of photos, to herald the reminder that there can indeed be ‘Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men’. We heard that Robin’s intellectual bent meant that he did not accept spiritual concepts without deep and thorough questioning. So his public declaration of his faith by baptism as thinking adult, drove home that he lived out his spiritual convictions thoughtfully and deliberately. The tapestry of the evening trumpeted Robin’s success in planting the seeds of his personal values to bear fruit-trees of spontaneous goodwill among myriad communities.
Why was such a marvelous person released from Earth in the prime of his life? Ah! A seed cannot become a tree without first disintegrating before germinating can it? Who knows how Robins’ early passing has spawned many, many fruit-bearing trees? Colleague, for example, had obviously been affected by the evening and was uncharacteristically quiet and contemplative. Is he on the verge of experiencing a personal Advent?
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