“Steve”

Our dear friend and brother Steve Clark has finished the race. Steve has now seen his beloved Lord face to face. He has been welcomed home and what a welcome it must have been. How do you describe this great life. Steve’s obituary does a wonderful job of outlining his many accomplishments… pioneer, intellectual leader of the Charismatic renewal, academic with many honors, author, first overall leader of the Servants of the Word Brotherhood, founding president of the Sword of the Spirit, and much more… what a resume.

Yet more than all of these impressive accomplishments, Steve was a humble man  who loved God and his neighbor with his heart, soul, mind, and strength. Steve spent his years helping others to come to know and love the Lord. Whatever Steve had learned, he was eager to pass on to others. He didn’t cling to his many accomplishments as if he owned them. If he could help you, he would. It might be insights and teaching about building Christian Community or things he had come to learn about computers or places to visit, or his favorite Belgium beer. Whatever he had come to learn and appreciate, he was willing to pass it on to others. He loved to help people.

Steve was a kind man. I don’t ever remember seeing him flaunt his great intellect in order to make himself look superior or put someone down. Perhaps his love for others was more often seen in what he didn’t say in a conversation…. what he didn’t say in rebuttal. My wife noticed how in his later years he was more quiet, sitting and listening, not feeling the need to make the last point or the best point. He seemed to smile more. 

When you had a need, you could count on Steve to be there to help. He came to the rescue of a lot of individuals and a lot of communities over the years. His kindness and wisdom were available to any who had a need. Steve was happy when others did well, when others were honored. “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. .” (1Cor. 13:4-7)  

Even though I am not an intellectual (except in the eyes of my 4 year old grandson), Steve welcomed my thoughts and listen to them, and often affirmed them. He answered my questions with care. Steve was my friend. He even laughed at my jokes…at least some of my jokes… okay, one time he chuckled at one of my quips. Yet, I was free to be myself with Steve. When he would visit our community, he would fit into whatever we were doing… breakfast at I-Hop, a grandchild’s baptism, community activities and retreats, help with problems, and an occasional Chimay Blue Belgium beer.  

I think Steve was surprised he lived to 83. Over 20 years ago, we were meeting in our home solving the problems of the world and community. On that day, Judy’s  mother Helen was in our front room in the last hours of her life. In the midst of all this, Steve begins to have heart pains. So Helen is breathing her last, Steve thinks he may be breathing his last, and I’m praying I won’t be left behind with all the problems. Well Steve survived another 20 years, but he seemed to talk more about getting old and going home. He loved to speak with our dear friend Frank Helfrich, who was some 13 years older than Steve, about how you handle this aging thing. Despite all of this Steve continued to travel the world helping friends and communities….. until he just couldn’t do it anymore.

I had dinner with Steve a couple of years ago, just the two of us at the Brotherhood Center in Chelsea, MI. We spoke about many of the challenges of the past, of good friends who had passed away. I was able to thank him for so much, especially for his kindness to me, and he once again encouraged me. I think we seemed to know that this was going to be our last time together and it was. 

I’ve been focusing a lot on the “Goodness of God” recently. God has been so good to me. I have a long list of things to be grateful for….and right near the top of this long list of blessings is that I knew Steve Clark and he was my friend. This wonderful man of God was my friend. What a blessing for me and for all of us who knew him. Thank you Jesus for Steve Clark.