2 Timothy 4:6-7
6As for me, I am already being
poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Somehow the planets aligned, God’s providence shined
forth, and I and my class of Divinity Students had the opportunity to be in the
final classes taught by these two remarkable Christians.
While I cannot characterize their lifetimes of service
in a blog post, I will do my best to portray these men as Christians who have
made a difference for the faith of many whether they have encountered these
theologians directly or through their writings or through their teachings
passed through former students.
Dr. Wainwright has spent his entire adult career in
service to the Church. He has been
a pastor in England, a missionary in Africa, professor at several universities
and seminaries, an important voice in the World Council of Churches on the
healing of division among the various denominations, and in his youth, he was a
cricket player (but, by his own admission, he had to settle for watching
baseball after coming to the USA).
Dr. Wainwright is a gentle man but yet full of passion
for Christianity. One day, my
class hosted an “English Tea and Scone Breakfast” in his honor. As a “stereotypical” British person, we
thought he would burst with excitement as he uttered in a barely audible voice,
“Thank you for the affection.”
Sitting in his class was nothing short of amazing. It isn’t often that a person can drop
in casual conversation, “So, I was talking to the Pope, and I advised him
to…”. Even if you are not Catholic
or do not believe in Papal Authority, the very fact that this man has
personally known at least the past 2 Popes speaks of the respect the Christian
Community holds for him as a reconciler.
And, he spoke with such humility that would make one think that everyone
calls the Pope on a regular basis.
Most of all, I will remember Dr. Wainwright’s final
lecture in our Theology Class. In
his British way, he “let loose.” I
remember hoping that after watching too many episodes of the Newlywed Game, the term “whoopee” would have a different meaning.
One of his last statements, ripe with British ambiguity was that
after the Final Judgment after Christ redeems the world, there will be a lot of
“whoopee in Heaven!” (And yes, he said it as if he were a cowboy). I hope to God he was speaking of celebration...yes, celebration!
PARENTAL ADVISORY IS ADVISED FOR THE FOLLOWING TRIBUTE
FOR STRONG LANGUAGE – Yeah, that’s not usually something that you put in
tribute to a Theologian, much less a committed Christian, but hopefully it will
make sense.
Dr. Stanley Hauerwas was named “America’s Best
Theologian” on September 10, 2001…Unfortunately for America and for him, the
next day, his accomplishment was overshadowed. Dr. Hauerwas made a career of being a “Christian
Contrarian.” He never “fit the
mold” of what others expected of him.
And to his credit, he never tried.
Dr. Hauerwas is a Christian Theologian/Ethicist who has
taught at several universities including Notre Dame and Duke. While never a “polished speaker,” his
writing is impeccable. He has
authored countless books and articles.
Sitting in Dr. Hauerwas’ class is an interesting
experience. But first, one needs
to know his background. He was
raised by working class parents, and was trained as a bricklayer early in
life. It’s well known that in the
construction industry, the “King’s English” is not exactly used. In fact, in our first class, I counted
him using the word “shit” or some variation of it 11 times. And also in that class, we learned that the only "moral absolute' is that you should never shove a garden hose up someone's rectum and turn it on (Who would have known??? I'm eternally grateful for that word of wisdom!!!) But, for some reason, hearing those
words from him is not the same as hearing them from others. He is a real person who is a real committed Christian.
I did not always agree with his positions or his
approach, but I always respected how he got there. His intelligence is beyond question as is his faith. Each class demanded that we, the
Church, reclaim our identity and be an alternative to the world. We should be so attractive that the
world sees in us what it is missing – that being Jesus…because after all, “this
shit is true” (in his words).
In person, Dr. Hauerwas is one of the most gentle and
kind people one could ever meet.
I’ve talked to him on a personal level a couple of times, and each time,
the focus was on me. He never
wanted to focus on himself. When I
complimented him on a book he wrote that made a difference to me, he wanted to
talk about baseball...that is until he found I was guilty of the unforgivable sin - being a NY Yankee's fan.
In his last lecture to our class, this non-ordained man
cried as he thanked us for allowing him the opportunity to teach us. He admitted that he had a big
personality and hoped that it never overshadowed the main goal of the class –
Jesus. He then summed up the class
and what we learned and concluded with a sermon.
While some disagree with his pacifism or his approach to
ethics – he uses the liturgy (as an extension of the Bible) and what we do at
church to shape how we act in the world rather than if X happens, do Y – none
can disagree that he is sincere.
He is flamboyant and sometimes seems overbearing, but when that is
brought to his attention, he would be the first to admit his flaws and apologize
for failing to respect another person.
In summary – Both of these men have been a great witness
to the power of God in the world today.
Despite their retirements, I find it hard to believe they will ever
truly retire. They may “take it
easy,” but their service to God and God’s people will never end, and it will
always live on in those who have learned from them!
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