The Spiritual Journey, pt. 7: Holy Fools

September 8, 11:43 AMFaith & Culture ExaminerDr. Bob Beltz

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It is always helpful to look at models of the kinds of character qualities we would like to incorporate in our lives.  I guess that is why God decided to show up in the person of Christ instead of just sending an instruction manual.  (Actually, he did both!)  When I first wrote the story line of Somewhere Fast, I wasn't trying to build a model.  I was just telling a story about the male spiritual journey.  Later, my publisher asked me to include the more overt teaching side of what I had been learning about the subject of the male spiritual journey.  I say this to let you know I didn't intentionally set out to create a character that was a Holy Fool.  But in telling the tale, a number of them emerged.

Professor Leppick:  I modeled Professor Leppick on my mentor in seminary, Vernon Grounds.  After an active academic career, Leppick has settled down to a life of solitude and contemplation in Funk's Grove, Illinois.  He lives simply, is surrounded by his books, and is ready to help a younger man through his crisis.  His gift to Calvin of The Way of the Pilgrim, and his instruction to get Calvin praying again (even when Calvin doesn't think it works any more) are clues to how far Leppick has come on the wisdom journey.  We don't see a lot of him, but what we see lets us know that this is a special kind of man.

Joe Monroe:  Like Leppick, Monroe serves as a mentor to Calvin.  He has a more playful side than Leppick, which is a common characteristic of many Holy Fools.  Mother Teresa once said that in every saint you will find a transcendental clown who hears the laughter of heaven.  Not exactly the image most of us have of what a "saint" looks like!

Rev. Wolf:  Wolf is more a fellow traveler with Calvin.  He is a few steps beyond Calvin, but not really old enough to be a Holy Fool.  His crisis has shaken him to the bones.  (A shotgun barrel in the mouth will do that!)  Out of despair, Wolf has moved into hope.  He has had a powerful encounter with God in the woods of Missouri and is using his breakdown - both emotional, and mechanical - to give himself time to figure out what life means without deception and illusion. 

The Brothers:  One of my favorite parts of writing the book was "channeling" the two characters that John meets when his motorcycle breaks down outside of St. Johns, Arizona.  If you have ever tried to write fiction, you know that the best material seems to come to you from left field.  You are working along and suddenly the writing seems to take on a life of its own.  This happened to me several times while working on Somewhere Fast.  Creating the brothers was filled with the experience.

When John Calvin arrives in St. Johns, he stumbles upon a meticulous diner and a ratty looking garage.  When the owner of the garage (appropriately named "Fat Bobs,") emerges, John is sure the name of the place is a reference to the owner.  What a difference an apostrophe makes.  Bobs is not "Bob's."  "Fat Bobs" was the name given to the fuel tanks on larger Harleys that used to be welded together to provide the full 5.2 gallons of gas for the bike. The owner's name is Jack.  I originally named the owner of the diner "John" also, but my publisher had me change it to Jack to avoid confusion.  I named Jack "John" because I created him while holding an image of the Apostle John in my mind.  For those of you who are not familiar with the biblical narrative, John was a follower of Jesus who was probably in his late teens or early twenties at the time.  There is a veiled reference at the end of the Gospel that bears his name that suggests John might never die.  So I thought "what if?"   Jack, among other more mysterious attributes, is a Harley mechanic who sets out to fix Calvin's motorcycle.  He suggests that while John is waiting, he check out the diner next to the garage.  

The diner is run by a near mirror image of Jack.  His name is Merle.  I modeled Merle on an image of another "what if?"  What if Merlin, the mentor of King Arthur, never died (as the legend suggests.) And what if the two of them lived out in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the hand of God to bring troubled travelers to their doorstep for help?

Jack and Merle are Holy Fools.  If you track with my above intentions, you might see how these are two men who could be anything, have anything, and do anything.  They could have immense fame and fortune.  But instead, they have positioned themselves in a place where only God can bring the right people to them.  They are joyful.  Maybe Jovial would be the right word.  They are kind.  They have immense strength that is hidden under unlikely exteriors (for those who have not read the book, they look a bit like twin Santas.)  They love God and treasure his Word.  As John looks around the library at their cabin, he finds ancient copies of biblical manuscripts and first editions of works like Calvin's Institutes.  They live to serve.  God brings broken people to them, and they love them through the brokenness and help redirect lives.  Not all Holy men and women are found in churches and monasteries.  They are lurking out there where you least expect them.

Four-and-a-half Holy Fools.  They give us a glimpse of what a Holy Fool looks like.  I hope you have people in your life that model for you the things that really count.  I want to spend one more session on this topic of the Spiritual Journey and show you three more Holy Fools - this time from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.