Recently we enjoyed a reception for John Williams. Nearly a hundred people met, prayed together, shared a meal and spoke of John. John is retiring. But before he hands back the reigns of the Food Bank Ministry and Outreach Coordinator to SJB, we wanted to be sure he knows we love him. How much? Well, tons.
That’s how he measures his own impression, by the ton. Actually, he has made an impression of over 2 million tons. He has supervised the distribution of over two million tons of food to families here in our community since the inception of the Food Bank almost 20 years ago. That is roughly 140,000 deliveries.
During the reception event, various people stood up to publicly share their admiration for John. They spoke of his dedication and fortitude facing the early challenges of the Food Bank Outreach Mission. With sincere appreciation, they applauded his years of service, his profound desire to assist those less fortunate, the recipients of all that food.
Stories were told, memories were rekindled and it was awesome. But the most poignant attribute I realized John embodied was humility. It was breathtaking. Far from the theological renditions, we find in fancy books and eloquent oratories, John’s humility came alive every day in his graciousness and kindness. Like breathing in and breathing out, it was so smooth.
As the evening drew to a close, it became so clear that it was John’s natural response. Every comment and every success noted was laced with his gratitude for the volunteers. He spoke proudly of how wonderful the volunteers were who brought about each milestone as the ministry morphed into its next level of service. I don’t remember a single time when he took all the credit or praise as his own. With each joyful chuckle, he brought along others to share in the good feelings weaving in the phrase that honored the volunteers.
John, thank you for so many years of loving the poor and feeding the hungry. But even more so, thank you for creating an opportunity for all of us to contribute and yes, to volunteer.
Thank you for blessing us by your example of humility. It is worth tons.
To: John Williams
From: The Parishioners of St John the Baptist