So I recently found an old memory deep within the bowels of my computer which made me laugh. It was something funny Mark said to me back in December of 2005 which I wrote down so I wouldn’t forget it. We were studying at Rawls one night, I looked over at his notebook and asked, “what class is that for?” His response is classic Mark:
The history of horticulture, so like plants and stuff. But I’m sure you already knew that. God, I am so stupid.
This is so funny because he wasn’t stupid at all, but he used to be privately unsure of himself even when everyone else was looking up to him. He would only let this side of him be shown every once in a while, and I’m glad I got to see it. But this memory gave me an idea for a new post. I’m basing it a little bit off of the “favorite things” posts everyone is doing, but giving it a new spin.
I want to chronicle briefly the men who have shaped my life. I call it Men of Faith. It is a veritable gallery of the faces of the positive influences of my life. Enjoy!
It all starts with this guy. This is Nick. We became friends our senior year of high school. He practically wrote the book on cool, and so much of his personality comes out in this picture. So changed by him was I that I decided to write a book about it, called Hard to be Humble. The book is currently out of print, and from what I hear, it’s hard to get a hold of a copy. Anyway, I used to be really shy and unsure of myself and Nick really helped me to break free of my shell, so to speak. We got ourselves into trouble once on a class trip, and that is my favorite memory from high school! We still try to stay in touch and he’s one of two of my friends from FC I can say that about.
Next comes Mark. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and he practically reshaped my whole thinking about the world. Moving from your hometown bubble to the global community that is Purdue was made navigable by him. He introduced the concepts of a balanced life to me, including family, friends, church, school, work, and play. He was always playing it cool and thought he was a rockstar, but would also show his vulnerable side every once in a while, and that’s what made him approachable. He’s out in California now, and when I last spoke to him about 6 months ago, he seemed to be doing very well in his field.
I’ve spent more time with this guy, Brian, than anyone else on this page simply because he and I were study buddies for three years. Though he’s two years older than me, I could swear we were twins because we have the same interests and the same thoughts on almost everything. When I was rejected from pharmacy school it was he who inspired me to challenge the decision in front of the dean and fight for my seat in the class. Against all odds, I won my appeal and owe him a year’s worth of tuition. We were always pushing each other to do well in school, and elsewhere, too. He always made time to go to mass every Sunday morning, even when he was busiest. He helped me deal with a lot of tough personal issues when school was at its toughest, and I thought I would be lost without him when he went on his rotations. We both made it through, and he’ll soon move to North Carolina.
I practically owe my whole life to this guy right here — my best friend Ryan. We really started hanging out in March of 2006, and just clicked immediately, but for no apparent reason that I can figure out. We’re practically opposites, but I guess we complement each other in that way. He’s a man of deep convictions, and his diligent study of the Mars Hill way of thinking about all of life has turned my life completely around. I am a much stronger Christian because of him. And I also should point out he’s a comedic genious. I mean, just look at what he’s wearing here! We have our differences from time to time, and although he’s not always the easiest person to get ahold of, I’m going to stick by him until the end. We’re going to be roommates next year and I think that will be a very positive experience.
These last two guys are relative newcomers to the scene, but are undoubtedly the most faithful. This is Troy, and boy is he something else. I don’t want to repeat too much of what I’ve said about him before on this site, but I do want to highlight just how genuine he is. I don’t care who you are, whenever you meet him, you’ll undoubtedly tell him that he reminds you of someone you know. And that someone that he reminds you of is always a very genuine man of faith that you look up to in your life. For me, it’s my mom’s cousin’s husband Eli, a pastor out in Ohio. He’s been more help to me than I could ever even ask for recently as I’ve gone through quite a shuffle of activities and friends at school. He always seems to know exactly when I need help, and will always call right at that moment and let me know he’s thinking about me. He acts about four years older than he actually is and is the life of every shin-dig.
And lastly, here’s Robbie, my mentor. He’s my pastor at my church while I’m at school. He’s probably the most impassioned man I’ve ever met and really has taken the time to challenge me to face the personage of Jesus, ask questions, and figure out what I believe. He’s very smart, well-read, and extremely well-spoken. He’ll frequently ask the question “what would that look like?” when referring to just about every abstract vision he paints while he speaks and really challenges me to think about so many different things. He exhibits so much caring for the poor and the homeless in our community, and can also share some great stories about how he helped people in the poorest parts of LA when he lived out there. And also, he’s just a really cool young guy, and I love it when he calls and asks me to sit and grab dinner with him. He takes the time to really get to know his parishioners, and because of him I’ve figured out what my passions are and know what I want to do with my life and energies.
