Apr
30
John T. Goodner - ave atque vale
Filed Under Ave atque vale
When Sen. John Kerry was a candidate for president in 2004, the word nuanced was used a lot to describe the senator’s positions on a number of issues. To some, Kerry’s nuanced arguments displayed great intellect and sensitivity. To others, he sounded like a non-committal pantywaist.
This past Thursday the church militant lost one of her least-nuanced members, one who was anything but non-committal, one steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord–ruling elder John T. Goodner of the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Auburn, Alabama. John was 53 years old, a native of Birmingham, a scuba instructor at Auburn University, and owner of Adventure Sports in Auburn and Montgomery. He also served as a key leader on the boards of Women’s Hope Medical Clinic and Camp Maranook. John was a deacon at Covenant while I served as assistant pastor there from May, 1994 to January, 1999.
But back to the nuance thing–John was as nuanced and subtle as a Johnny Cash song. He had that great Presbyterian gift of being both ‘tight as a tick’ with money and yet remarkably generous. He was plain-spoken in praise or criticism and yet unfailingly charitable and kind. He was serious about the advancement of the kingdom of God and yet he always made you laugh. If you put him up in front of a congregation to pray, he was prone to ramble and talk way too long before actually praying, but then his short prayer would be full and substantial and centered on Christ.
His family and mine have remained close through the years. John and his wife Aileene had seven children–sons John, Jr., Drew, Gray, Straley and Will; daughters Mary Beth and Cate. Needless to say, their home was always lively and bordering on chaotic. And there in the midst of it all would be John, always barrell-chested and usually shirtless and red-faced from all the time he spent outdoors, displaying firmness without harshness, seriousness without ever failing to smile at the goodness and grace of God.
Death is an outrage; it is nasty and brutish; but the captain of our salvation has burst through that boundary and come out on the other side. He is risen from the grave; and in his resurrection we see that, though we live in a vale of tears now, where death seems to hold the trump cards, there is a day coming when we know that we and all the loved ones who have gone before us in Christ will rise to be with Christ. His death was agonizing but it could not hold him; ours will no doubt be terrible and traumatic; but because of Christ, death will not hold us either.
In saying ave atque vale [hail and also farewell], let’s give the Lord Jesus the last word from John 6:37-40:
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of hall that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
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