Icon Christ the Teacher

CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, TRAMPLING DOWN DEATH BY DEATH, AND UPON THOSE IN THE TOMBS BESTOWING LIFE. [Paschal Hymn, Orthodox Liturgy]

Icon Prefiguration of the Trinity Genesis 18:1-8

    In recent days we have often asked ourselves: "How could a man with so much energy not have the energy to hold onto his life?"

    Ray Herbenick was a most unusual man. He took an intense interest in almost everything --- the most recent being a study of the conceptual underpinings of the historical Patrick that will teach us that there is more to St. Patrick than chasing snakes. This follows his other recent work on the religious and ethnic roots of Andy Warhol that taught us that there is more to Andy Warhol than painting soup cans.

    Everyone with whom I have talked in the last couple of days has spoken the same chorus: "His death is such a great personal loss" and "It is impossible to replace him." After I heard the second statement several times I began to wonder what a job description to hire into his position would be like. I can almost see the word-processing program begin to smoke as the multitude of qualifications is entered.

    When he really took an interest in something he pursued it "relentlessly." For all his talk about moderation in Aristotle's theory of virtue, moderation in his professional life was not his strong suit. A very small sample is the philosophy department colloquia he has designed and conducted over the last three decades and the exuberance with which he plunged into his research on St. Patrick.

    To those of us who were privileged to work with him, we found him to be a friend and ally. He was always ready to talk with us about our projects and his was a magnificently accepting and supporting voice in our undertakings. He has always been a genuine cheerleader for the efforts and accomplishments of others. I think we treasured that more than he realized and we will feel that loss as much as anything.

    He was one of the few people whom I found I could trust totally. [And that is saying something about someone who spent 8 years as an administrator!]

    He contributed to this university in ways that are beyond number from high visibility to low profile. He was a pioneer in many projects --- he was always sticking his neck out. And, when the guillotine fell, as it sometimes did, he continued on undaunted. When he was Department Chair he led the way in student evaluations of faculty, in systematic evaluations of faculty by the Chair, in promoting interdisciplinary studies. After leaving the position of Chair he was at the forefront of many curricular movements, the CORE Program and the General Education Humanities Base to name only a few.

    When the concept of the Learning Village was announced he was among the first to dive into the morass of webpages. He and I worked hard at this project and had great fun in the process. We would be constantly running into each other's offices with "Look what I just learned!" and "How do you do this again?" Ray was transfixed with this project because he saw the tremendous potential it offered to the learning possibilities for students. Be assured that, if it is possible to have a web link between heaven and this university, Ray Herbenick will find a way to establish it. Learning Village governors, be on the lookout.

    His devotion to his students was extraordinary and his love and enthusiasm for learning was infectious. The success of his classes was not measured in student evaluation quantifiers, but by the layers of chalk dust on his face and hands and clothes at the conclusion of his classes.

    Now, I am sure that all his enthusiasm and broad interests might have generated a few cynics among his colleagues. They might even have gone so far as to call him somewhat "eccentric." But really, is having a closet full of rocks from all over the world "eccentric?" Yes, he has such a closet and he had friends, many of them sitting here among you, collect these rocks in their travels. I, myself, contributed to the collection in 1985 with stones from King Ludwig's castle and the glen where Siegfired forged his sword. I tried to get one for him from the sidewalk in front of Einstein's house in Bern but the Swiss keep their streets so clean I had to walk two blocks before I could find a tiny pebble. But we can all take comfort from the fact that, if the walls of the Humanities Building begin to sag, Ray's rock collection can shore them up, just as he continually shored up the study of the humanities at this university.

    In the 50th psalm we read the verse: "Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me." (50/51:10) I honestly do not know if Ray ever recited this verse --- or ever needed to. For I have never met a person with a cleaner heart or a more righteous spirit. He had a great love for justice and suffered neither fools nor injustice gladly. Surely, if anyone, Ray Herbenick lived the simple but profound admonition from the prophet Micah: ". . . and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"(Micah 6:8) Ray's personal integrity was an inspiration and a challenge to us all. It is this among many things --- friend, colleague, husband, father, son --- that we celebrate today.

    Ray died on Easter Sunday according to the liturgical calendar of the Orthodox Confession. Not a bad day to die as choices go! He is in good company. Fr. Teilhard de Chardin, another man of great integrity and wide ranging interests and vision died on Easter Sunday in 1955. In 1927 Fr. Teilhard wrote in Le Milieu Divin:

"You are the vivifying force, oh Lord, and because Yours is the energy, because, of the two of us, You are infinitely the stronger, it is on You that falls the part of consuming me in the union that should weld us together . . . teach me to treat my death as an act of communion."

    Ray, you died too fast and too soon. We thank you for the gift of your life that you have given to each of us. But in this untimely event let us learn several lessons from you, as you continue to teach us. Let us go forth from this place resolving not to waste one moment of the precious time allotted to us with hearts polluted by lingering resentment, destructive anger, delayed reconciliation, or lack of forgiveness. Let us learn to live with gratitude for the many gifts we have received. But most of all let us learn that as surely as we shall die, just as surely shall we rise again.