hello friends this is a true story abt tommy.it was there in dec kairose
> > ----- > Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file > into > > the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was > > the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was > > combing his long flaxen hair, > > which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had > > ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into > > fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but > > what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my > > emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange, very > > strange. > > > > Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of > > Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or > > whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We > > lived with each other in relative peace for one > > semester, although I admit he was, for me at times, a serious pain in > > the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his > > final exam, he asked in a slightly cynical tone, "Do you think I'll ever > > find God?" > > > > I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" > > > > I said very emphatically. "Oh," he responded, "I thought that was the > > product you were pushing." > > > > I let him get five steps from the classroom door, then called > > out,"Tommy! I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely > > certain that He will find you!" > > > > He shrugged a little and left my class and my life. I felt slightly > > disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line: "He will > > find you!" At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy > > had graduated, and I was duly grateful. Then a sad report came. I heard > > Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see > > me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted, and > > the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy, but his > > eyes were bright, and his voice was firm for the first time, I believe. > > > > "Tommy, I've thought about you so often. I hear you are sick," I blurted > > out. > > > > "Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a matter of > > weeks." > > > > "Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked. > > > > "Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied. > > > > "What's it like to be only twenty-four and dying?" > > > > "Well, it could be worse." > > > > "Like what?" > > > > "Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty > > and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real > > 'biggies' in life." > > > > I began to look through my mental file cabinet under 'S' where I had > > filed Tommy as strange. > > > > (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God > > sends back into my life to educate me.) > > > > "But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is something you > > said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!) > > He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God, and you > > said, 'No!' which surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I > > thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly > > intense at that time. (My clever > > line... He thought about that a lot!) > > > > "But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it > > was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating God. And when > > the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging > > bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven, but God did not come > > out. In fact, nothing happened. > > > > "Did you ever try something thing for a long time with great effort and > > with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. > > And then you quit. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a > > few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may or > > may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn't really care about > > God, about an afterlife, or anything like that. > > > > "I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more > > profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered > > something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through > > life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through > > life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you > > had loved them.' So, I began with the > > hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached > > him." > > > > "Dad." > > > > "Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper. > > > > "Dad, I would like to talk with you." > > > > "Well, talk." > > > > "I mean . . . it's really important." > > > > The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?" > > > > "Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that." > > > > Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he > > felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. > > "The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I > > could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. > > We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. > > It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his > > hug, to hear him say that he loved me." > > > > "It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, > > too, and we hugged each other, and started saying > > real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping > > secret for so many years. I was only sorry about one thing -- that I had > > waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people > > I had actually been close to." > > "Then, one day, I turned around and God was there. > > > > He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an > > animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through. C'mon, I'll > > give You three days, three weeks.' Apparently God does things in His own > > way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. > > He found me. You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking > > for Him." > > > > "Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying something very > > important and much more universal than you realize. To > > me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to > > make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant > > consolation in time of need, but rather to open up to love. You know, > > the Apostle John said that. He said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives > > in love is living with God and God is living in him.' Tom, could I ask > > you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. > > > > But (la ghingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into > > my present Theology of Faith course and tell them > > what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn't be > > half as effective as if you were to tell them." > > > > "Ooh ... I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your > > class." > > > > "Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call." > > > > In a few days, Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he > > wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date, but he > > never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the > > one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by > > his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. > > He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or > > the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined. > > Before he died, we talked one last time. > > > > "I'm not going to make it to your class," he said. > > > > "I know, Tom." > > > > "Will you tell them for me? Will you... tell the whole world for me?" > > > > "I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best." > > > > So, to all of you who have been kind enough to hear this simple > > statement about love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, > > somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven -- I told them, Tommy, > > as best I could. If this story means anything to you, please pass it on > > to a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity > > purposes. > > > > With thanks, > > John Powell, Professor Loyola University, Chicago =============================================================================== This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===============================================================================
