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Fifty Years In His Shadow
by Edward Thornton, Ph.D.
"What is it like living in the shadow of Wayne Oates?"
It is like living on a property shaded by a magnificent maple
rooted just over the fence.
The tree stands tall and strong
creates verdant abundance in spring
cool shadows in summer
vibrant colors in fall
and a symmetrical, graceful structure in winter.
Wayne is the kind of tree old timers would name in a deed
marking a boundary
tracking a wilderness.
He is a landmark for travelers, reassuring
defining identity, naming a place
encouraging one to look beyond the now
into the not yet.
As neighbor, he is a tree that asks little for itself
Though it bears the wounds of many storms, it stands there
indestructible. Never intruding and ever blessing
it creates under its canopy a space for rest
reassurance about the journey ahead.
A fatherless child
Wayne was found by a family of faith and grew
into one of those trees of whom the psalmist sings:
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
Psalm 1:3 (NRSV)
Yes, I have lived in his shadow for fifty years.
I praise God for an exceptional gift.
Copyright © 1999, Wayne E. Oates Institute. All rights reserved.
Thornton, Edward E. "Fifty Years In His Shadow." Oates Journal v. 2 (1999): Febuary 1999 <http://www.oates.org/journal/vol-02-99/articles/thornton-50_years.htm>
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