Begin forwarded message:
From: Mary Hampton <mhampton@att.net> Date: July 3, 2014 at 12:58:02 PM EDT To: Randy Williams <randycw1938@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Madman or Martyr? Retired minister sets self on fire, dies
Thank you, George, Del, Jack and Randy and others,
I am at a Gathering of 1200 Quakers in western Pennsylvania (California, PA no less). Our theme this year is "LOVE is the first motion". After breakfast, I sat down to read my e-mail. First, i read or comprehended that Charles had died. Then I read George's email "Immolated" with the Methodist article. My world was rocked.
I did not know Charles well. I did run into him once at Grace Methodist a few years after we moved to Austin. I was there because a women's group was quilting the top I inherited from my grandmother. He was a gracious host and professed to recognize me although I had come up and introduced myself.
I remember his Mountain of Care story about helping the old man to the bathroom on the plane.
My first thought was, to the best of my knowledge, I was the only one of these 1200 loving, committed people who had a direct connection at all to this life and death. I have a horror of the means. AND YET, if we decide in every moment where we expend our lives is there not also a blessing in being able to decide where to give our deaths?
I will go to Charles' Memorial Service.
Grace and Peace. Love, LIGHT, mary