Today my steps took me back to my old neighborhood and St. John the Evangelist Church on Humboldt St. I have to admit that I don’t have very favorable memories of St. John’s from childhood. What I remember is being told over and over again by my Catholic friends that I wasn’t going to heaven because I wasn’t Catholic. Then there were the religious holidays. I attended #28 Public School across the street, and every time St. John’s was closed for a religious holiday, those kids would stand outside our windows and make faces at us in the classroom. And although I only lived a block away from the church, I had never been inside. Catholics and Lutherans didn’t mix back then, at least not on Sunday mornings.

Today I was there for the funeral of Sam Gillio. The Gillios lived next door to Gary’s family on Falstaff Rd. all the years he was growing up. Sam died at the age of 93, so his funeral was an uplifting event, a celebration of a faithful life well lived. Sam had even given his kids the gift of preparing all the details of his funeral ahead. I didn’t know Sam as well as Gary did, but today I realized that we are kindred spirits. Sam had picked out my favorite Bible passage as the first lesson.

Isaiah 43: 1-3  But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…”

Tonight I’m feeling a whole lot more kindly toward St. John the Evangelist Church.

Day 290: 11,002 Steps YTD: 2,651,398 Steps Goal: 2,728,000 Steps