An unsung hero

I don't usually publish my reflections for funerals, but then again I rarely write them (as opposed to those for Sunday Masses), but in this case I made an exception on the first count, so why not on the second one too.  Here goes:

Funeral homily for Edgar Burton

(to Edgar's family), please accept the sympathy and prayers of all those who call Christ the King their spiritual home.  Over the past few days, many friends and even strangers have no doubt also expressed their condolences.  Edgar was beloved by many.  In quiet ways, he made a big difference in the lives of thousands of people, some of which he knew, and some if not many of which he never met.

The story of his life, told in the media over these past couple of days, was nothing short of heroic, and the deeds he  accomplished were truly miraculous, but I'm sure that were he standing here today, he would want none of the accolades.  Instead, he would just encourage us all to dream our dreams, and to let nothing stand in the way of their realization.

The thing about Edgar that made him so beloved was that he was just like you and me.  The things he did were things that you and I can also do.  All it takes is a bit of courage and a heap of faith in people's goodness, and he had both of these in abundance.  People like Edgar have been immortalized in some pretty impressive ways, even in the scriptures.

In the first reading which we heard this morning, we met Elijah, one of the greatest prophets in the history of the Israelite people, and we saw how he was cared for by a widow, who didn't even have a name.  People who are truly about the work of faith, making a difference in the lives of others, rarely seek any attention.  They prefer to do their work, and to seek their recognition in the simple knowledge that they have made a difference in someone's life.

We know nothing about the woman of Zarephath, except that she was a widow, which means that she was probably very poor, since she would no doubt have lived on the generosity of others from the time her husband had died.  Life would not have been easy for her, and yet when Elijah asked her to provide for him, she gladly obliged, and the result was that her jar of flour and her supply of oil did not go empty.

When Edgar's children asked him why some people in the world have to go hungry, he could have made up some kind of explanation about how people should take care of themselves and gone on with his life; the disciples in the gospel wanted Jesus to respond like that.  They thought that he should have perhaps brushed off the need he saw, but Jesus chose a different response, and so did Edgar.  Simple words spoken by children made him stop , made him ask some deep-seated questions  of himself.  Perhaps he heard Jesus respond, 'give them some food yourself', and he did something about it.  You and I, and the city of Sudbury are the beneficiaries of his efforts today.

What Edgar did was to respond in faith with simple gestures, and with honest words.  He didn't try to do great things.  He just tried to do little things with great love.  That's the secret to a life of faith.  When Jesus gave instructions to his disciples, there was nothing complicated about what he asked, 'Bring what you have and give it to me ... then share what I give you in return with others who are in need.'

These are not difficult tasks, but the result probably left the disciples in awe, even if the crowds themselves had no idea where all the bounty came from.  The result in Edgar's life perhaps left him and his family in awe too as they witnessed the astounding generosity of so many.  From one simple box and a heart-felt invitation to make a difference, Edgar's efforts  have grown into a legacy that has now fed thousands, and one that will live on in the hearts and the efforts of Sudburians for years to come.

When the crowds had eaten their fill, the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of the leftover fragments.  Like the widow of Zarephath, their simple efforts had yielded unexpected abundance.  Edgar's efforts have left us too with unbelievable riches.  Thanks to the generosity of so many, there is food to feed the hungry families of our city.  Thanks to the faith of so many, children in our city are making a difference now for their playmates, and for others who they may not even know.

A simple question, asked by a child one day made a profound difference in the life of one man.  Simple questions can often make big differences, if we dare to listen, if we dare to act on them, if we dare to respond in faith.  A little bit of effort can go a very long way.