In 1980 my nightmares faced the childhood heroes of William Dennis Ward and his sidekick, Iron Man. In 1986 I discovered poetry. From then to 1990 my privilege was to be taught by such greats as Jonathon Turner – an English teacher in a small town whose heroism inspired far more than he ever knew. In 1994 after such men as Michael Allen of George Fox College (now GFU) continued that legacy I became an adult. In 2005 I learned the tests of fatherhood and the cost that all the afore mentioned men had paid to be who they were. In 2009 I lost nearly everything and 2013, I first recognized what it felt like to suffer the consequences of my own failures. Then in 2016 I learned patience and humility from a German named Stefan Jaenicke. In 2019 I did lose everything coming full circle to the hero, William, who reminded me of strength and another Clark Zoll, a Jew, who showed me hope and perseverance in the face of tribulation. Yet today in 2024 as I look to each of these years, I realize that one Great Man, Jesus, set all these other great men in my path. That’s 2000 years of great men. Thank you all for the example of a high bar.
Isaiah 64:8