Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places:

Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ!

John Buchanan died this week. Father of Diane, father-in-law to Rick, friend to many, leader in the Church. So much more.

For twenty-seven years he was senior pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, one of the flagship churches of the Presbyterian Church (USA), 6,000 members strong when he retired. A “light in the city” was its tagline, and it really was. More than just the city of Chicago, Fourth Pres and John’s light shone across the country and throughout our denomination.

I first met John in 1985 soon after he arrived to succeed renowned Welsh preacher Elam Davies. At the time, I was a young associate pastor in Lake Forest, the second largest Presbyterian church in Chicago, and from far up the north shore, we began to admire all that Fourth was doing. Our rule of thumb was “if Fourth was doing something, we knew that something was worth doing,” and it was probably changing a lot of lives in the process.

In my darkest struggles with leukemia I went to see him. I’m not sure why I thought John might help and I had no idea what that help might be. Or if anyone could help. But I remember feeling at peace when I walked out of his office. Just by being there. Just by John listening in the other chair.

And I can’t begin to even estimate how many people heard John as a preacher, as Moderator of the denomination, as co-chair of a huge national fund-raising campaign, as editor and publisher of the Christian Century, the foremost publication of mainstream Christianity. When John spoke he aways had something to say that we needed to hear.

When I was working on my Doctor of Ministry degree at McCormick Seminary in the early 90s my cohort chose John to be our preaching professor only to have scheduling issues get in the way. I always wondered what I missed.

But I know we are missing his voice in our current political situation. I look for prophetic voices. John was one of those. I look for leaders who stand up against all who would casually diminish a life, any life. John was one of those. I look for genuinely good people. John was one of those, and brilliant as well. Presbyterian tradition considers all of us to be saints but John seemed a bit more saint to me.

One by one the voices I admire in our Presbyterian world have gone, leaving the rest of us holding the mantle. Tell us what to do now. Tell us how to deal with cruelty and racism. Tell us how to stand up to hatred and division. Tell us again about how the church can be a light in the city, and nation, because so many are overwhelmed by darkness.

Tell us again about a God who talks of justice rolling down like waters and righteousness like a might stream.

O great cloud of witnesses, all the saints in light, make room for one more.

Thank you, John. Thank you, good and faithful servant.

Grace and peace,

Harry