Here are some Peb reflections, representing some of his “young guns…”
I believe Brad Lomenick introduced me to Peb somewhere along the way. And, truth be told, though I love fly fishing, I never cast a fly with Peb. But Peb and I shared a love of cycling, mountaineering, adventure, and of course, faith. He lived dangerously, loved fiercely, and believed passionately. And Peb modeled this dangerous, winsome, and passionate faith for all of us Young Guns.
Steve Graves posted a reflection earlier this week about Peb, lamenting that a mighty oak had fallen. I love that metaphor, Steve. And it got me thinking of another way of seeing Peb’s contribution, especially to us “young guns.” We all know Peb loved the outdoors. Being in God’s creation awakened something primal in him. Whether sitting on the Jackson’s back porch, in the pub at the Broadmoor, or somewhere deep in the wilderness, God’s creation prompted inspiration, and even awe.
How many of you can picture that gleam in Peb’s eye, that wry, knowing smile–especially when you were experiencing creation in community? I remember one of those moments, walking with Peb–actually ambling might be more appropriate… Peb avoided hurry. So, we were ambling up the steps to the Seven Falls in Colorado Springs. It was fall I think, and around us were thousands of glowing, quaking aspens.
Now if you’re not from the Rocky Mountain region, you might not know that an aspen grove is the largest living thing on planet Earth. What appear as individual trees are instead collections of genetically identical stems, spanning, in some cases, miles underground. No single living thing on Earth is heavier. The largest known stand, just a couple hundred miles from here, weighs an estimated 13 million pounds.
Like the aspen, those of us connected in faith have far more in common than meets the eye. We’re all connected, underground, as it were, by something unseen. I’m reminded of the book of Hebrews, chapter 12, where the writer says, “…since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
An individual aspen tree lives 85 or so years. And as each trunk dies, and falls over, new green shoots arise. Kind of like us Young Guns. And even the older guns… 🙂
Peb invested in me, and in hundreds–even thousands–of us. And we’re now connected, infected with the DNA of Peb’s dangerous faith. We are surrounded, connected, as a great cloud of witnesses….
Yes, a mighty aspen has fallen. But new green shoots have arisen. And, to the best of our ability, we’re carrying forward Peb’s DNA. Thank you, Peb and Sharon, for your love for, and investment in us. May we live up to the high standard of Jesus’s gospel life because of how you modeled it for us.