"It just leaves me cold."

He had listened intently through the first portion of this morning's class. He hadn't yet made any comments and when he finally spoke it made sense to me, "I don't have the understanding all of you people seem to have. I guess I don't get it. This chapter, well, it just leaves me cold." The ten other people around the table listened and a few sturdy souls offered to help him out. "What Joe is really saying is that he doesn't know what he would have thought in that day and time about this chapter, " Bud offered. "Honey, it doesn't matter that it bothers you because we know how it all turns out in the end and you'll be OK," Lucy's soothing voice said. "Joe, try to tell us more about why this chapter leaves you cold," I prompted. He went on and the group went with him as they gently searched for a deeper understanding of his theological struggle.

All and all it was quite an interactive and energized class with many points of view along with different faith experiences. However, the really amazing thing about it was Joe's age and station in life, if you will. He's been widowed for over a year, he wears hearing aides and sometimes uses a walker, and he's 92 years old. Imagine, 92 years old and still interested in learning, still able to ask deep and searching questions, and still longing to understand the faith he's practiced most of his life. I find this amazing -- it's not very often people of his age are willing to admit they don't have all the answers, they still have questions, and they still want to learn. I hope I can be like him at 92. I only have 39 years to get it together.