From the Pastor: June 2026

Jun 2
2 min read

“When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? To surrender dreams – this may be madness… and maddest of all, to see life as it is, and not as it should be!” Don Miguel de Cervantes, “Man of la Mancha”

Dear Friends,

It’s June 1st and it would have been my brother Dan’s 73rd birthday had he not died of pancreatic cancer in 2019. I love that Dan’s birthday is the beginning of Pride Month, because he was gay, and I like to imagine that all the rainbows and celebrations are in honor of his memory. Dan was incredibly smart and talented, a gifted singer and actor. He was also incredibly loving and kind, and passionate about making the world a better place. He had a stubborn refusal to accept life as it is, in all its hardship, and sometimes to his personal detriment lived too much in fantasy. As an actor, his signature role was Don Quixote in “Man of la Mancha,” the story of a valiant man who tilts as windmills, insisting that his efforts at heroism are worth the cost even as he is beaten down. He also sees the worth of even the most downtrodden forgotten people. Don Quixote doesn’t let reality dissuade him from fighting for righteousness, even as the world insists he is a mad fool. I’m reminded of how Paul calls us to be fools for Christ’s sake (1 Corinthians 4:10), and tells us to focus on Christ’s way and the glory that lies ahead, rather than be weighed down by present circumstances: “We look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

I’m more practical than Dan was, but I carry his legacy of foolishly, steadfastly believing that the work we do to love Christ’s people, feeding, clothing, and nursing their wounds—as well as tilting against unjust structures and systemic prejudice, is the work of a loving God who is shaping the world through our words and actions. I say this not just to memorialize my brother but to encourage all of you who are jousting with the cruelty and true madness that is often our seeming reality. Keep remembering that the love of Christ is the sometimes hidden truth, and the way to abundant life.