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Homily at Joseph Lewis Memorial Service
August 12, 2006
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Glen Ellyn, IL
Isaiah 25: 6-9
1 John 3: 1-2
John 14: 1-6
“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to
himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord; and if we die,
we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we
are the Lord’s.” These words from the opening anthem
are not just a comfort to those who mourn; they are true –
and contain wisdom that we can use for reflection at this time
of remembrance and thanksgiving for the life of Joseph Lewis.
God blessed Joe with many gifts – brains, education, a
loving, wonderful wife, children, grand-children and great-grandchildren,
prosperity, health and an especially long and fruitful life.
The first commandment that God gives humans is “be fruitful
and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” Joe has
done his part and done it well, for from this central, heartland
location, his descendants have settled in places north, east,
west and south.
I have had the good fortune of looking through the “Joe
Lewis: This is Your Life” scrapbook, which resides with
Bunny and reflects her diligence in collecting and organizational
skills. I urge all of you to take spend some time with this
book, by yourself or with Bunny at your side, to see some of
the photos, letters and articles about Joe that cover a good
portion of his life.
This scrapbook combined with several brief encounters, including
telephone conversations and a visit at the hospital to see a
man who having just celebrated his 101st birthday looked barely
80 - leaves me with a small glimpse of a remarkable and profound
life. I am struck not only by the achievement of living for
one hundred and one years but that in this one man is a reflection
of many eras – some lost, others disappearing, and still
others confusing and just beginning. Joe was born in Chicago
and lived in the Austin neighborhood for a short time before
moving to Oak Park. There were no sidewalks – only wooden
planks for navigating the muddy fringes of the streets, pre-dating
Ernest Hemmingway’s famous quote about the “broad
lawns and narrow minds” of this Chicago suburb. Horses
and carts mingled with buggies and model Ts. Chicago held fast
its title as the hog butcher to the world. Electric lighting
was beginning to replace gas lighting; radio and television
were science fiction fantasy. Newly planted elm trees bore the
promise of a leafy summer canopy. Dating was very formal –
and it was up to Joe to gather his nerve to ask the daughter
of his parent’s friends out on a date. He did. Fast forward
through the decades, and a dizzying sweep on history passes
before us, including the roaring 20s, the Great Depression,
World War II, the atomic bomb, the Cold War, Vietnam, the collapse
of the Soviet Union, 9/11 and a war on terrorism. Soaring world
population, drug addiction and global warming; technological
advances that would send humans to the moon and eyeballs to
the tiniest quarks; create and then condense computers from
the size of a house to a sheet of paper and put a cell phone
in every pocket. Fast food and TV dinners. Vinyl, cassettes,
CDs and IPODs. The Civil Rights movement; and on and on. Has
there been any 100 year period with as much change, innovation,
war, suffering and triumph in the history of the world? Taken
in its entirety, it’s simply unfathomable; but seen through
the lens of the life of a man who lived through it all, it is
possible to recognize the timeless virtues of hope, perseverance,
humor, faith and love. In the words of his beloved wife of 77
years, “Joe was a kind-hearted man who didn’t put
on a show.” Yet if he didn’t put on a show, he ran
one and worked diligently behind the scenes. When you live long
enough, your past can be filled with names and things that are
no longer recognizable. Consider Norwich Pharmacal Company,
where Joe began his career in sales and received promotion after
promotion. One of the company’s top products was unguentine.
Am I pronouncing that correctly? Not a catchy name for today’s
world – but perhaps the same thing will be said of Crocks
and Starbucks in 100 years. Now a subsidiary of Procter and
Gamble, Norwich competes as an outsourcing provider for liquid
pharmaceuticals and sponges. Could Joe have imagined such change?
He had to – because he saw it happen. After Norwich, Joe
worked for the Toni Company, maker of the Toni Home Permanent.
Fifty years ago, everyone knew the slogan, “Which twin
has the Toni?” This clever marketing campaign showed that
there was virtually no difference between a Toni Home Perm,
costing $2 and a beauty shop perm for $14. Perhaps Joe didn’t
put on a show, but promoting a product like Toni Home Perm meant
that he mingled with stars – some that even his grand
children might have heard of, including Lucille Ball and Joan
Crawford. At least I know who they are, and I’m impressed.
The Toni Company is now a part of Gillette, but you can still
find Toni products at your local Walgreen’s and CVS.
Over the past 100 years, many people were convinced of the
promises of technology and progress, that through human ingenuity,
a good life would be available to everyone. I am sure that Joe
shared this optimism and hope. For a while, the promise seemed
within reach. In 2006, that promise has vanished, having given
way to cynicism and fear as AIDS, poverty, rising gas prices
and terrorism grip the lives and minds of the world’s
population. Some would say that the world has gone to the dogs.
It is perhaps ironic then at this memorial service that hope
is renewed and God’s promises are heard in our Scriptures
and prayers. The readings from Isaiah, 1st John and John’s
Gospel all share a common word that looks to the future - a
verb – “will” – or “shall”
in the King James Version. Listen again: “on this mountain
the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich
food.” In 1st John, “we will see him as he is and
we will be like him.” And in the Gospel, “I will
take you to myself.” This is the faith of our ancestors
and the promise of God to us. Unlike the broken promises of
our modern world, God’s promises are a sure foundation.
Like Thomas, we worry that “we won’t know the way.”
But Jesus has already told us that he will take us to one of
the many mansions, and even our doubts will not deny this promise.
How do I know that Joe understood this? He was a senior Warden
at St. Mark’s. For those of you who know the challenges
of church governance, anyone who endures such an agonizing role
can only do so with hope and an unwavering faith. And it is
right here at this pulpit that I see evidence of his faith in
God’s word and promise –a pulpit given in memory
of his mother’s and mother-in-law’s names as this
plaque reminds all who preach from it.
Joe stood on God’s mountain for a century – the
sure foundation of God’s promise - because he knew that
whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
Amen.
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