A very dear friend lost his son this week.
Barry Ries is the chairman of the Psychology department at Mankato State University. When I was finishing up my Master's degree at Lipscomb, Barry was my field mentor for a practicum project, and advisor for an independent study on adult sibling rivalry.
But in addition to taking time he probably didn't have for somebody he met once at Bible camp -- twice -- he also gave me some profound insights into ministry in the upper Midwest.
Even his coffee cup was inspiring. The Stroup Effect -- named, incidentally, for a psychologist who preached at Pleasant Grove back in the day -- is a cognitive delay caused when a word spelling one color is printed in a different color. Barry's coffee cup demonstrated this effect, and in many ways sparked my own fascination with how the human mind processes information.
This past Sunday, Barry's 15-year-old son Michael passed away suddenly. I remember Michael from Flaming Pine Youth Camp the one year we went up there. Michael was six, or maybe seven, the last time I saw him in the fall of 2002. I remember him as a fun-loving, playful little boy. But that said, it's been eight years since I last saw him. The memories that others have posted indicate that he grew up to be a fine young man, someone whose loss will be felt deeply, and not just by those who knew him best.
The funeral is tomorrow, but the hurting will go on for a while. Please pray for Barry, his wife Leah, daughter Carissa, and the whole family as they struggle through the coming weeks.
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