A couple of days ago, I had a visit with my brother Bob when he dropped off my mom for Christmas.

It was fun to catch up with him. I hadn’t seen him since early October and that wasn’t much of a visit since it was at his son’s wedding. He was kind of preoccupied that day for some reason. Maybe it was the combination of wind and the kilt that he was wearing!

This time around he spent some time talking about his job for the Peterborough Board of Education as a heating/air conditioning specialist, among other things. He has over 110 schools in his district to take care of, so he basically has no life of his own.

He shared with us how it is hard to train new people in his occupation because it really gets complicated when you are dealing with the heating/cooling systems in a large building. A few things that he said stuck with me.

He mentioned how you have to always be thinking about how what you are about to do is going to impact the system. I guess it is really easy to fix one problem and create ten others if you don’t think through what you’re doing and look at all the variables first.

He also mentioned how you have to always make sure that the impact you are making is positive. You can’t create negative airflow in a building or there will be big problems.

Apparently you have to learn how to think backwards, as well. At times are you actually doing the opposite to what makes sense–just because of the way systems work together.

You have to be a real mystery solver and a “big-picture” guy to handle the kind of problems my brother deals with on a regular basis. That’s why so many start the training and so few stick with it. Bob told me that it takes a good seven years to get the hang of things.

In a way it seemed to me that both I and my brother have some of the same challenges in our work. As a pastor, I have to try and help people see the big picture as well. I have to help people look for positive ways to bring the changes they are looking for and many times spiritual success comes in the opposite way one might think.

I hope I am half as successful at my job as my brother is in his. More than that, I hope I am just as careful in considering how what I do affects others and if those affects are positive—not negative.

It’s part of ministry. It’s the reality of life. People come. People go. Serving in a city church is especially prone to a regular turnover. Our world is increasingly transient and mobile.

Living by this reality means that we see the opportunities to touch and encourage lives for as long as we have them. I see God’s hand in the ballet of life. He brings us people to dance with for a while. Sometimes it is to show us a greater grace; at other times it is to extend a greater grace. More often than not it is a bit of both.

Last week we bid an “official” farewell to Peter, Rachel, Sam and Jake. This family has been part of Keele for almost 4 years now. Peter started to come out to Bible Study and prayer on his way back to God after some wilderness wanderings. I had the privilege of baptizing them, as well as, uniting them in the bonds of holy matrimony. More than that I had the pleasure of seeing their faith and their family grow as they served and shared life with us.

Peter has been a good friend. I looked forward to the times we would get together for an early breakfast and I have always appreciated how he has lived his faith on his sleeve. I know how Peter is feeling. I see his passion for Christ and his honesty in sharing his frustrations and disappointments. I see a man who will never forget that he has received a second chance in life.

As Peter and Rachel move to Peterborough, I am sure they will think that they could have done more. I am sure that they have no idea of the impact they have had on our lives and I know they have no idea how much they will be missed. That is just the kind of people they are.

What have I given Peter? Only Peter can say, but what he has given me is the glimpse of someone who is a sojourner. He is a fellow traveler through this world; but not of it. He has a hunger and a longing for something more, something better, and something more valuable and ultimately more worthy of his desires and efforts. I see someone uncomfortable in this world. Trust me, I don’t see that enough! When I do see it, I treasure it!

It was just one word, but that one word set off a flurry of emotion.

What was the word you ask? It was the word “Guru”. I imagine the fact that “Guru” stirs up something deep inside my soul only adds to the proof of my clinical “uniqueness”, but let me explain.

The past few weeks I have been working feverously on revamping the “Christmas Celebration” page at Graceland. Prior to the revamp it was a disturbing mishmash of holiday tinsel and style that pretty much had the same esthetic as dog yak deposited on the floor after the dog has eaten a goodly portion of the family Christmas tree. Now it is a finished, clean, uniform, stylish, quick loading, happy holidaying type page, fitting of its content.

In the midst of that revamp, one of the major contributors to the “celebrations”, Madelaine Beck, commented on the revamp of her articles with the word “Guru” referring to moi.

It has been months since I heard that word. In fact, I haven’t heard it since my good friend and mentor Jerry Meyer went to be with the Lord. He often referred to me as “Grant the Web Guru.” That was his official title for me, rather than the usual “webmaster”. It was his way of letting me know that he was comfortable with entrusting his words into my hands. Whenever we talked about graphics, or layout or site direction, he would always say, “You’re the Guru.”

Do you know what an honor it is to be entrusted with the thoughts and words of another? I take it very seriously. I guess that’s why I am a preacher.

When I read that one word in an e-mail this past week, all I feel about Jerry came to the surface. I miss him! I miss the coaxing and the prodding I would have to do each Christmas to get him to write something (Jerry was never big on Christmas or at least on what Christmas has become). At the same time I am so happy I did the prodding. During my redesigning I’ve gone through every one of Jerry’s Christmas pieces and they are all so human, honest, perceptive, and heart-felt—just like Jerry.

Christmas is a time when we feel more profoundly the absence of those who are no longer here. I feel that loneliness a little more this year. But that’s not a bad thing. The loneliness is evidence of mutual connectedness and personal investment. It is also a teacher that tutors me to treasurer the relationships that remain.

Thankfully Christmas is also remembering the birth of the One who makes eternal reunions possible!