Funeral texts and sermons are often bigger than life. Because death looms so large, they often focus on the bombastic elements of heaven and cataclysmic promises that come with Jesus defeating evil, rising from the dead and securing our salvation. They’re big to help us, to give us courage, to grant us hope. And yet big, flashy, neon sign, super-sized, is not Karl. And so I won’t stand here today and offer big words – not because they’re not true – they are – but simply because that’s not who Karl was. And I want to remind you that when we enter into the sacred space of a life – any life – always remember this: Every life is gift from God. Every life carries wisdom. Every life has a story to tell and a blessing to give. And the blessing of Karl leads us to a Scripture you probably haven’t heard at a funeral. Actually, you may have never heard it even preached. It’s a passage from John’s Gospel, chapter one in which Jesus is calling the twelve apostles and comes upon one named Nathanael. And it was this text that struck me when I wanted to remember Karl. Jesus said of Nathanael in John 1:47, “Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile.” That was Karl.
It’s an old word, I know, but it sings of who Karl was, how he lived. “Guile,” of course, means crafty, deceitful, manipulative or false. The Greek word literally refers to a decoy, a lure, a trap. Karl was none of those things. He was not a decoy human being. Karl was the real thing, the real deal. He didn’t put on airs, talk a big game, or pretend to be something he was not. One of the first people I ever met when I came to Salem was Karl. It was the first day of a multi-day interview for the pastoral position at Trinity and Karl and I sat next to each other at dinner. I’m sure you’ll be shocked to learn that a lot of people are intimidated by pastors, most imagine that we simply want to talk about the Bible and judge others. But Karl, he wasn’t intimidated. In fact, before I knew it we were comparing favorite rock bands from the 70s and 80s and he was telling me how his wife got on stage at Styx concert. A gentle chuckle, 80s hair metal, a quiet but sincere faith, that was Karl. Every life carries wisdom. Every life has a story to tell and a blessing to give – no guile.
But it was more than simply being genuine. Karl was someone who fiercely believed in loving and serving others – whether paid or not. He loaned me a car when I first moved out here. He gave my son a job. He was deeply devoted to Natalie, and loved his children – every single one of them. He focused on others and became God’s gift to many. I want to invite you to take a moment and reflect on that gift. How did Karl serve you? When I remember Karl I will never forget a story that Natalie shared with me the other day. Before he started attending Trinity, he was approached by a former staff member who asked if he and Natalie would help clean the sanctuary once a month, I believe. Kayleigh was a part of our Community Corner and we would sometimes ask people to help contribute. And Natalie and Karl agreed – most don’t – and they loved and served a people, the very space in which they worshipped, without knowing them. It’s hard enough to clean up after people that you know but to do so for ones you don’t is almost staggering. But that was Karl. He loved and served others – quietly, with no need for applause. Every life carries wisdom. Every life has a story to tell and a blessing to give – others – Karl was a blessing to others.
In the end, I will forever love and remember Karl because he was small. I know that’s not a word you expected to hear and it can even sound negative. In this day and age, we seem to want our lives to be big, over-the-top, larger than life. But I’d like to think that Karl’s life mirrored the life of Nathanael and our dear savior more than we might realize. Nathanael, of course, despite being one of the original apostles, only appears twice in the entire NT and only speaks once and yet Jesus chose him – small. And at Christmas time we remember that our own savior came from a young, unmarried girl, in a backwater, tiny Mediterranean town, in an insignificant and dirty place – to save the world - small. And that’s how God works. God picks the small. God uses the small to care for others. God gives purpose to the smalls who wish to be kind rather than famous. In God’s universe, small is the new big and the new important. Every life carries wisdom. Every life has a story to tell and a blessing to give – no guile, love others, live small. Friends, try and be a bit more like Karl. And I know that Karl upon hearing that would say, “No, try and be a bit more like Jesus and follow him.” And that’s why I loved Karl. I guess we’re both right. Amen.
