‘Pete’ is a man of medium build. His eyes seem to be assessing you at first sight, but then open up and become warm once he starts talking. That Sunday, his eyes were framed by red glasses and his head was covered with a baseball cap. He was wrapped in layers of jackets to protect himself against the cold.
For ‘Pete,’ reading the newspaper is an integral part of his daily routine and he emphasizes the importance of keeping up with current events. The reason? Many of these events have personally affected him.
Pete lost his grandson to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Then, his two sons have gone to serve in the army. He has witnessed the effects that his sons’ time of service have had on their well-being.
Pete told of a specific instance where he first saw a change in his son’s mental state. After seeing firsthand a body without a head on the field, his son was left haunted by that graphic image, forever altering his perception of the world.
“He was not the same.”
Pete reads the news daily, hoping that one day the government will implement new policies to protect and care for those who served. However, he has not seen any change thus far and expressed anger towards the government.
He also expressed his frustration towards America as he believes society is now largely driven by greed and money. However, on the flip side, he also believes America still has many good people who are willing to give of themselves to serve those in need.
Pete also spoke about his faith.
He came from a religious family and had accepted Christ in high school but never felt that God had anything to offer him. Until God’s presence became something that was hard to ignore.
Pete told of a time when he was in the midst of doing something he should not have been doing. He had been waiting in a park for his driver when a complete stranger approached him and warned him not to do whatever he was thinking of doing. He then left as quickly as he came. Later, Pete found out that his driver had been there watching the whole time that the strange man had been talking to him. However, the driver had not seen another man with Pete, which indicated to Pete that the stranger must have been an angel sent by God.
To Pete, faith is a process that can be compared to learning how to ride a bike. Beginning with not knowing anything but slowly and steadily figuring out the ropes. The process also comes with many uncertainties.
“Just when you know the answer, you don’t.”
However, that’s where faith in God comes in. Because of his faith in God, Pete does not fear death. In fact, he sees it as something completely different.
“Death is not the end—it’s the beginning.”