The fifty-year-old going on
a hundred minister/social
activist wisely blurted

“I’m in free fall,” a year
after the tragic death in
a day of the life of his

beloved wife. He fell in
love with her twix twelve
and twenty and now he

admits he is falling frighten-
ingly somewhere he knows
not where. His friends say

wisely, “When you hit bottom,
we will be there to help
lift you up,” — falling as

the way to rising — falling
helplessly in love, rising
to new, unexpected life to-

gether, free-falling after
tragedy, rising with the help
of friends — Jesus falling into

the devious, devilish, death-
ly plans of the powerful,
falling from life into the

dark arms of death’s abyss
landing instead into the

arms of Eternal Love in
the midst of the black
hole of nothingness and

being lifted up to new life-
giving love and justice for all —
faith testimony’s call.