Memorial Service Sermon
4 April, Wynberg Boys' High
The Reverand Jerome Francis
(Rector of St Margaret’s Anglican Church, Parow)

My brothers and sisters, my world and yours has (sic) been shattered by the senseless death of Bob. We feel grieved, empty, and stunned, with a sense of great loss, as we continue to question his senseless death.

It is experiences such as these that make us cry out: Why Lord? Why did it have to happen to Bob? Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? Why is the world filled with so much war, terrorism, murder, racism, poverty, hatred? Where are you in all of this, Lord – you who claim to be the God of love?

Our God understands us when we ask these questions! He even expects us to ask these questions when life is beyond our understanding.

Many of the psalms are full of joy and peace and comfort. But others overflow with anger at God's apparent betrayal; and with despair when he seems uncaring or absent.

Even Jesus, hanging on the cross in agony, felt able honestly to ask the question, My God, why have you forsaken me?

This afternoon one answer to our question is the knowledge that God is weeping with us. God, who we best know in the face of Jesus Christ, weeps exactly as he wept at the grave of his friend Lazarus whom he loved. Jesus weeps with us all, whatever our pains. He is the incarnate God, God become flesh, who we call Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us.’

Pope John Paul II, in a book called Crossing the Threshold of Hope, affirmed this when he wrote, ‘But God, who besides being omnipotent is wisdom and to repeat once again is love. He is not the Absolute that remains outside of the world, indifferent to human suffering. He is Emmanuel, God with us, a God who shares man's lot and participates in his destiny.’

We must also remember the words of St Paul in his letter to the Romans: ‘In all things, God works for good with those who love him’ (Romans 8:28).

Paul does not at any stage say that all things are good. By no means! Because in our world there is far too much suffering and tragedy. What happened to Bob was not good.

But in all things God works for good. There are no circumstances so terrible that God cannot work to bring good out of them. This is the truth that we need to hold on today and in the days that lie ahead.

Bob’s death was senseless. Yet I know that one good thing that is already coming out of it is the wide recognition of the remarkable impact Bob has had on so many people around the world.

Just recently, Jill shared with me the many telephone calls and emails she received from people around the world, conveying their condolences and love; sharing with her the great impact that Bob has had on their lives.

Bob had a great impact on my life too. Our paths met over twenty years ago, when he was about thirty six and I was eleven.

Besides the administration and cricketing skills he taught me, his love for humanity was a great lesson to have learnt. For Bob, it did not matter where you came from or who your parents where, or what religious faith you belonged to, he just wanted to share himself and his love for cricket with you.

Children on the Cape Flats and surrounding areas such as Langa admired and respected him for sharing his cricketing abilities with them in the height of the apartheid era, knowing well that his life was always in danger.

Once, when we were in Bloemfontein, taking part in the John Passmore trials as teenagers, we found the gates of the university swimming pool had been locked. It was symptomatic of the mixed welcome us Cape Flats boys had received. Bob was the first to jump over the gates and say ‘Come on guys! Follow me!’

When he was chosen to coach the South African team and at the end the Pakistan team voices would be echoing on the Cape Flats: That's our Bob Woolmer. When Bob had a spare moment in his busy schedule he would always visit the Cape Flats.

All you and I can say today is that we are grateful to God that we have come to know such a remarkable man. We are grateful to God for his life and witness. We are grateful for the deep love he had for God, his family, friends, his cricket and people around the world.

This week churches around the world are walking with Christ down the Via Dolorosa – the Way of Sorrow, the Way of the Cross. The cross of Jesus is the key whereby the grave is unlocked and death is robbed of his power.

Jill, Dale and Russell, in John’s Gospel chapter 20 verse 10 following, we read how Mary Magdalene was the first person to go to the tomb, to visit the body of Jesus, after his humiliating death. She is traumatized to find that his body is not present. She assumes that someone has stolen the body, and she has lost him for ever. Her life is shattered and she begins to cry. But this experiences changes when Jesus stands opposite her and calls her on her name.

It is here that she has a conversion experience. She realizes that life does not end at the tomb, but that Jesus has been raised and will ascend to his Father in heaven. She now knows that death has been robbed of its power.

Jill, Dale and Russell, I know that the days, months and years that lie ahead are not going to be easy, especially with the unnecessary speculations that are flying around.

I know that like Mary you would just want to be close to your husband and father’s body so that you can have some form of closure.

Here Mary’s experience can perhaps help you further. Mary tried to take hold of Jesus, and cling on to him. She wanted to have him back, as he had been before. But Jesus had to tell her that she must let go. ‘Do not hold on to me’ he said. It was true that he had life beyond death, but it was a different life, and Mary had to let him go, and let him live the life of heaven.

Jesus called Mary’s name, and reassured her of his life, and offered her closure.

The same Jesus calls your names, and reassures you of Bob’s new life with him. He offers you too, the chance of closure – even though he knows how hard it is to let Bob go.

He makes to you the same promise that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob made to them: it is the promise that wherever life leads, he will continue to be a presence with you on your journey.

Let us pray:

Lord God let your glorious and eternal light shine upon those gathered here this afternoon. Grant us your peace and your love, your comfort and your strength, and help us to see your presence within this memorial Mass.

Bless Jill, Dale and Russell with your divine grace and love. May Bob's soul continue to rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.

The article above was found on Google and was published originally on iafrica.com