I was at home when the news of Irvine James’ passing reached me. He had been hospitalised at the Owen King European Hospital, but the initial reports about his condition were not alarming. Based on that information, I continued with my day-to-day chores, believing that he would soon be discharged.
Later, I learned that he had suffered a head injury from a fall at his home in Marisule. Even then, I wasn’t overly concerned because the hospital updates indicated that he looked upbeat. The last time I saw James, he was about to embark on his annual vacation as a proofreader at THE VOICE Newspaper, and he appeared fit and healthy. I had no idea he had any life-threatening ailment or any medical issues for that matter.
When the phone call came informing me of Mr. James’ passing, I stood still. Then I sat down, and a wave of emotions hit me. Tears streamed down my face because, in the few years I had known him, we had developed a deep bond. We often engaged in discussions on various topics, with morality, the Bible, and the church being some of the most passionate subjects. Mr. James attended the Anglican Church and he staunchly defended it during our debates.
At the office, hardly a day went by without us embroiling ourselves in wholesome debates. We discussed the legitimacy of the weekly Sabbath, whether consuming pork was abhorred by God, and whether women should serve as church leaders. Mr. James was unwavering in his defense of his church, and he even invited me to attend a service there – something I did twice, though not in his company.
Today, I mourn the loss of a friend, despite the age difference between us. Tomorrow, we will lay him to rest-a gentle soul I had the pleasure of meeting in this tumultuous, often chaotic world where desires and temptations pull us in every direction. Mr. James’ unwavering faith in God and kindness towards his fellowmen will remain etched in my memory.
Farewell my dear friend. Unlike those who perceive this as the final chapter, you and I share a deeper understanding. As you rest in your earthly slumber, awaiting that magnificent day when the Son of God shall pierce the celestial veil, resurrecting those who found life in Him, I offer my prayer. May you be among the chosen, rising in that inaugural resurrection. And when our paths converge once more, we shall journey to a realm untethered by mortality – a place where death’s chains no longer bind us.
