Wednesday, January 23, 2002
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Wednesday, January 23, 2002 |
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Faithful ... loyal ...personifications of Wilbur Stanley By REV JOHN HATCHER This past week a giant passed on from this life to his eternal reward. Reverend clergy, you ask? No. High-minded civic leader? No. Revered community icon? No. Prominent elected official? No. None of the above. His obituary didn't do him justice, as with most of our loved ones who pass. Obituaries, unless paid, don't detail the facets of faith of a person's life: like family, friends, and church. Wilbur Lee Stanley died Jan. 18, 2002. He died at home after a lengthy illness. That tells a lot about a person when you find out he or she died at home. "At home" means someone at home cared enough to care for him. Of course, that one was Louise, Wilbur's wife of more than 60 years (I believe). She cared for him as her "baby," knowing he could do little for himself. My response: what love! What wonderful, unconditional, far-reaching love! Indeed, it was love, "for better, for worse." You can tell a lot about people by how loved ones take care of them. Wilbur was a sweet, loving, "never hurt a fly" person. You could tell that was the kind of person he was by the care he received. Some families can't wait to get rid of the old coot. Not Wilbur. His wife, sister-in-law, and children cared for him to the end. Wilbur died at home. But the thing I want to magnify about Wilbur Stanley, and certainly, others like him: he was a faithful and loyal member of his church. New folks at the Fayetteville First Baptist Church might not know nor remember Wilbur, but the church's history books often reveal his name and contributions over the decades. Although Wilbur was active in every aspect of the church at one time or another, it was his role of greeter that fits this gentle and unassuming person. He welcomed tens of thousands to Sunday morning church in his role as church greeter. Wilbur always made young and old alike welcome to God's House. Wilbur made me think of Nathaniel, one of Jesus' disciples. Jesus perceived that Nathaniel was a man "in whom there is no guile." Meaning, no duplicity. What Nathaniel was at home was what he was at work was what he was at play. That was Wilbur. He wouldn't praise you from the housetop and then secretly drag your name in the gutter. He was true through and through. That's what made Wilbur a man close to my heart as a pastor. He was loyal from start to finish to the man whomever the church called to serve as pastor. Wilbur, Louise and I have a common heritage: the man of God who served as their pastor also served later as my pastor and baptized me. The Reverend E. J. Hatcher (same name as mine but no known relationship) served once at Fayetteville First Baptist and later served at Bethel Baptist outside Columbus, Ga. The E.J. Hatchers and the Stanleys were friends until the end. The Stanleys could always be counted on to be in the pastor's corner. It seems to me that "faithful and loyal" are a dying breed. It doesn't have to be that way, though. I challenge young men and women to continue to heritage of the Wilbur Stanleys of the church: stay true; be loyal; have just one face about yourself. Live in such a way that perhaps a clergy member might have some nice things to say about your faithfulness and kindness and genuineness.
The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of River's Edge Community Church in Fayetteville. |
