I’ll never forget seeing Kyle at the deli. There I was, overwhelmed by the number of different kinds of hard cheeses and keeping my young daughter from a third free peppered pastrami sample, when I saw him.
Recognition and surprise registered on both our faces. I tried to smile. Kyle mumbled a terse greeting and quickly turned away. My daughter’s hand returned to the samples, but I barely noticed. The deli worker waving a package in front of my eyes finally snapped me out of my daze.
The thing was, most people who knew Kyle in college — including me, his campus minister — were certain that he’d go into church ministry. He was the InterVarsity leader we all counted on for consistency and enthusiasm. Where other small groups met in the campus ministry office, Kyle moved his to the cafeteria so that anyone passing by could join. When he wasn’t studying, Kyle volunteered to mentor youth in the Bronx court system. His thoughts on worship and prayer deeply expanded my sense…
