The Life and Death of a Saint

In some ways I feel silly writing a post this intimate about a man who I knew for such a short time. When my friend Larkin called me Saturday morning and told me of Dr. Claypools passing, I found myself hanging up the phone with tears running down my cheeks. I sat in the cabin unable to express emotion in any other way than gentle sobs. This is a man I have only known for a year, and it felt like I was loosing a mentor, pastor and long time friend. That is what type of man John Claypool was. Meekness and Humility resonated in everything he said and more importantly everything he did. When I would preach sermons in his class, my feelings of inadequacy and trivialness were always overcome with his encouragement and smile. Although tired and often sick from his treatments he always made time after class, not just to answer questions but more so to ask them. He was ever a student, not just of homiletics and theology but more so a student of humanity. He was personal, he wanted to know who you are and what you love. He made, in the year that I had the privelage of knowing him, one of the deepest marks in my soul of anyone I have ever encountered.
In his last days of class he talked to us about death a lot. He knew death was coming soon and he had no problems greeting it when it did. I remember the last thing he said to us at lunch on our last day with him. He said the only thing that scares him about death is having to leave his friends, us. He spoke of his wife Ann, his students and the countless people whose lives have brushed against his, and he said not being with you all is what I fear. Once again I feel completely inadequate writing about a man with whom I spent such a short time. I feel though, I have to add my voice to thousands of others in tribute and thankfulness to the life of this saint. Thank you God of peace, thank you for this special gift to our world. Thank you for his example of grace, trust and love that we had the privelage to experience. Thank you for his ability to take away any excuse of bitterness one could carry in life, and replace it with love and humility. Thank you for the gift of your Saint, John Claypool. Amen