Remembering Abe

My memory of Abe Charles will always live in my mind.  Almost one thousand people came to share their grief with the family of Abe in his passing.    All of us will miss Abe’s kind and gentle spirit among us and at the same time be inspired by the life he modeled for us.  

Everyone knew Abe loved to build stuff.   I remember clearly as a small child the first time we took our bushels of peas to his farm for pea shelling.   He had just finished this new machine and was clearly happy to put it to work.   We loaded our peas into the wire mesh hopper which rotated dropping the peas onto another beater going the opposite direction.  As the pods fell apart the peas fell out of the wire mesh onto this bouncing tray shaking the debris from the peas as they bounced toward the dishpan capturing all our wonderful peas.   Even as a child I admired this man’s contagious enthusiasm in creating something good with his own hands.   Beyond the creation it was the opportunity to use his creations to bless his neighbors which gave him the most satisfaction.   I remember my Uncle Ivan boasting how Abe’s homemade snow plow was successful bailing him out after a particularly big snow storm.  

I would have been 9 years old when Abe was ordained as pastor at Millersville Mennonite Church.   This was a pretty big deal because I never remember an ordination before this time.   I was in third grade at Manor Mennonite School, a two room church school in our neighborhood.   We had 4 grades in each room with about 8 to 12 students in each class.   Our teacher listed all the names of people nominated on the blackboard and we prayed for this process where the pastor would be chosen by casting lots.   When the lot fell on Abe I remember my mother expressing pleasure that she knew Abe loves the Lord.   I remembered this line when Abe was later called to be bishop of our district. 

I was probably 13 or so when I first drove the tractor baling straw for Abe.  Abe and his brother Roy had this big wire tie New Holland 77 baler.  This particular day the knotter started to act up and bales were not tying well.   It was frustrating for Abe and Roy getting that machine to work that day but it eventually was adjusted properly and we were able to finish the job.   It was good for me as a child to see other people besides my Dad had problems with their equipment, and that with persistent hard work things can be fixed in good humor.   It was also good I could see the man who came to church as visiting speaker in a proper suit could also be very real in overalls struggling with all the problems of the day.  

Abe loved the church.  Even as farmer he spoke with high admiration for the scholars of the church and leaders of the extended church body.   He was happy to take courses as he could, and appreciated connections with others in the extended church body.   He also loved the local church.   When things did not go well he was not quick to judge or condemn but always worked for reconciliation in his gentle way.   The value of community cohesion was of greater value then bringing judgment and perfection.   So it was easy for him to embrace other people, even those different from himself.   He quickly gave leadership responsibilities to those far different from himself, even those from different backgrounds and religious traditions from his own.  One always knew he was rooting for their success especially when there were misunderstandings.    

I remember how he was encouraging a church plant within our district.   He would call, raising money to support this project.   His greatest interest was to extend the testimony of our faith beyond the boundaries that our culture and personal connections could touch.  While he himself sometimes felt his own giftedness was limited in connecting cross culturally, He always expressed admiration for church planter personalities who were good doing this and supported their work whole heartedly.  

How does one embrace all God’s children and also embrace one’s own people?   This is so hard for the perfectionist or ambitious as we strive to create or relate to the world we believe would inspire us, many times rejecting even our own people.   Abe included us all.   No one cared more about his family or his extended family.   Even last year as a person with very little strength he stood up as he did every 5 years at family reunions and told stories of Charles history.   He also walked in step with people at his local congregation and extended church with all our imperfections and claimed them for his own.   When the immigrant Kenyan mother with her family, who drove from Michigan to come to Abe’s funeral, stood up to call Abe and Ruth, Mamma and Poppa,  I knew he included everyone in his family.   Seeing his entire family walk in step with him in the life of the church is a blessing beyond description.

I never heard Abe complain about his suffering.   I can’t imagine the suffering he endured as the cancer weakened his body.  Consistent with the model of his whole life he trusted God for each day.   Four months before his death our church group was Christmas caroling for neighbors.   We knocked on Abe’s door and he invited us into his house to sing.   We could have sung outside.  Why did he invite us into his house?   I never thought about it until after we left.   He was in treatment.  His immune system was very weak.  But he invited us into his house.  Of course he did.   That's what he would always do.  He gave his life for everyone.