IT'S A LONG WALK FROM THE STREET
My Eulogy for Christopher Mims Simmons, Jr.

This is the manuscript from the eulogy that I gave on Monday, August 17, 2009 at the memorial service for my friend Chris - who most of you know as "Joe."

This morning, we have gathered in this place to remember and to say farewell to our brother, father, son and friend, Christopher Mims Simmons, Jr. It is my distinguished honor to stand before you and share a few words to inspire and encourage this family and to highlight a few memories from the incredible journey that I shared with my friend. I would like to read a passage from the Holy Scriptures that I will use to help guide my moment of sharing. It is found in the first three verses of the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John. We hear Jesus say these words, “1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

As a thought or topic for what I will share with you today, I’d like to borrow the title of the blog that I’ve been writing about my journey with Chris, that title being – IT’S A LONG WALK FROM THE STREET.

Chris’ life was pretty unique. His story is pretty complex. His journey was filled with twists and turns. But when I step back – now that we see the final chapter that will be lived out on this earth – I notice that his physical journey is much like the spiritual journey that we all must take.

The story of Chris starts out in his father’s house. He was born into a family that loved him and a family that he loved. He told me about his wonderful father – the longshoreman. He told me about his loving mother. He told me about his days growing up. He told me about how he used to sing. We would talk about things that he experienced in this neighborhood as a child. He drew the picture of the old landscape – the houses that used to be here. The playground where he played. The schools he attended – all of this, while he was in his father’s house. He was born into a family.

This reminds me of the story of mankind. We were born into the family of God. The bible teaches us that in the beginning God said – “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” – and here we came. We were born into God’s family. We lived in the Garden of Eden – a place of fellowship with God – or can I call it Our Father’s House. We experienced the voice of God. We had a relationship with God. One day, God expanded the family after performing the first surgery, removing one of Adam’s ribs, and creating a wife for him. Together, they lived in the family of God – in relationship with God. They lived in innocence. There was no sin, no wrong-doings, no crime, no evil, no hatred, no pain, no sickness, no death. They were living a life of pure bliss. This is the beginning of our story. We were all a part of that innocence. We are Adam’s seed.

It would have been great if Chris’ story didn’t change. But there was something that happened. Chris experienced something huge, something that changed everything, something that brought a huge trick bag. Chris faced LIFE. Life brought him a whole lot of things. Life brought Chris some temptations, some trials and some troubles. Life brought him some headaches, some heartache and some heartbreak. Life brought him some sickness, some sadness and some sorrow. Life brought him some losses, some lashes, and some lessons. Life came with a loaded bag. And as a result of life, Chris lost his place in his father’s house. He went from place to place – taking shelter wherever he could. He tried to maintain the relationships he knew. He had already lost his father and mother. He tried to maintain his relationship with his brother, his sister, his stepmother and his daughter. But life! Life had brought him some things that made relationships rocky and things that made companionship costly. Very soon, Chris found himself alone, isolated, separated and vulnerable – all because of Life. After an unfortunate series of events and in incredible run of circumstances, Chris found himself on the street. He was homeless. And while there are shelters around this town that provide for the homeless, Chris couldn’t get in a shelter because – he had lost his identification. He could no longer prove who he was.

Adam faced life, too. Life brought Adam that bag of tricks – and soon, sin was born in the world. And because of sin, Adam lost his place in his father’s house and found himself homeless, living on the street, without his identity. You and I came out of our mother’s wombs in that condition. We were born into a life with an open trick-bag. We were born without our identity. Sometimes we find temporary shelter from the storms of life – but without a relationship with our father, we always find ourselves right back on the street.

This is where I met Chris. He was living in the bushes, just around the block from here. Some of the ministers and members from Gethsemane had reached out their hands and helped Chris along his journey. I remember that Wednesday evening in November that my wife, Sharon, was touched with compassion and said, “Let’s go back and see if that man is still out there in the bushes. If he is, let’s take him some food.” Now, I had just recently prayed for a more compassionate, giving heart. My wife seemed to have always had that kind of heart and I wanted it, too. God used Sharon to show me Chris. Then God used Chris to show me how to love.

Chris and I started bonding. Chris would come to church and we would talk. I found myself driven to help him. Now, I thought – okay, he’s homeless. Let’s get him in a shelter, let’s get him into rehab, and let’s get him back on track. But once we started the journey, I realized that it’s a LONG WALK from the street. You see, I had no idea how hard it is for a person to regain their identity once it is lost. I had no idea how difficult it was for someone to get the medical attention they need without medical insurance. I had no idea how difficult it was for someone to navigate the Human Services system. I had no idea how difficult it is for some persons with legitimate disabilities to receive disability assistance. I had no idea just how long a walk it was from the street. All I knew was that God had connected me to Chris and I had to see it through. There was new kind of compassion birthed inside of me; a new drive and desire was burning in my heart. I wanted to see Chris back in his father’s house with his identity and with the benefits he deserved as a citizen of this great land.

I believe that this is where Jesus found us. We were on the streets. We had lost our identity. But Jesus had such a burning desire to see us back in our Father’s house that he laid down his life on the cross of Calvary so that we could have right standing with God. Jesus became our path back home. He restored our relationship with the Father. It is through His powerful act of love that we regain our identity as children of God. It is through His act of love that we receive all of the benefits of being a citizen of God’s kingdom. It is through His act of love that our sins are forgiven and we are saved. I believe that John 3:16 says it very clearly, “For God so loved the world that He gave… “

I remember the day that Chris and I sat in Alice Mae’s restaurant and he called his brother. I remember the look of relief on his face when he made contact with Harry. I remember that day in my car when Chris called Renee. I remember him being so happy when he heard your voice. I remember the tears that ran down his face when he gave me back the phone – because he was so happy to talk with his daughter. I remember the day that we left the DMV office when Chris had finally gotten his state ID card. I remember watching this wonderful metamorphosis take place from Sunday to Sunday. I remember seeing Chris come in with new outfit after new outfit. I remember us talking about Mary always shopping for him. He would say, “I don’t need no more new clothes.” I would remind him that this was Mary’s way of say, “I love you.” Then he’d open his jacket and say, “I know.” You see, by now he was living in his father’s house again. And now that he was back in his father’s house, his life was blossoming. He was eating again. Mary was feeding him good. He was in relationship with his family again.

But of everything I saw, I was most excited about the fact that Chris had entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship had brought about a major change in his life. Chris had gotten free from things that many people never get free from. This guy was free from the vices that had nearly destroyed his life. God had done a work in Chris that was obvious. And every Sunday – rain, snow or shine – Chris made his way to the house of the Lord to worship God. He made himself a part of the Gethsemane family where he was surrounded by people who loved and cared for him.

I thought that perhaps this was as far as I needed to go with Chris. But the Sunday came when I noticed that I didn’t see Chris in church. We found out that Chris had gone into the hospital. Over the next few weeks there was a part of the journey that none of us were prepared for – except Chris. You see, he had gone from his father’s house – to the street – and back into his father’s house. But now he was slipping out the back door of his earthly father’s house into the front door of his Heavenly Father’s mansion. We didn’t see this coming. I thought that he would be coming back to his house on Reservoir Avenue – but God had already decided that the journey had been long enough. Now, it was time for Chris to slip away – from the back door of his earthly father’s house – into the front room of rest in his Heavenly Father’s house.

This is a part of the journey that we all must face one day. We will be brought to the back door of life. But it doesn’t have to be a fearful moment if we follow Chris’ example – he prepared for his eternity. Despite the things that life had thrown at him, the struggles that he had to endure, the times he had fallen and had to get up, despite the loneliness, despite the dark days, despite the mistakes, despite the illness – Chris made a decision to receive Jesus as his Savior. Because of that decision, Chris faced his last days with peace and dignity. And now, he’s resting in the arms of his Heavenly Father. Let’s follow that example.

Chris, you know I love you. My life is forever changed because of you. I’ll see you again when we meet in Heaven.