The Rev. John Barr III

Rev. John Barr III

In thanksgiving for Peter Moore and God’s strange merriment

During this time of the virus I have walked a slow tour of the Psalms.  When I hit Psalm 104, I had to pull off the side of the road.  I found Peter Moore there.  “There go the ships, the Leviathan which you formed to play with.”  How Peter loved the sea, wind surfing, sailing, teaching land-locked brothers and sisters to swim.  All things of the sea.  But more, here is the great sea-monster from Job, symbolizing everything which shrivels us up and darkens us with dread and shuts down the heart and says: “You are at a permanent dead end.”  And God is doing what with Leviathan?  He is playing with Leviathan! 

One of the things I most cherished about Peter—and it grew for me in all four of the ALI’s I taught at Martha’s Vineyard, is his love of laughter, his playfulness, the music of laughter which chased away the dragons. Who could forget going bowling with brothers and sisters many of whom had never even seen a bowling ball?  I remember some moments when the ball actually went backwards or sideways into a crowd of people from Ohio or up into the rafters. I saw very dignified people paralyzed on the floor in lavish laughter unable to get up.  Swimming together in the sea —many who had never seen the sea, laughing in the sand.  There was the joy of resurrection.  It was so healing.  

And Peter knew we needed it.   Scholar, friend, leader, husband, incredible father, and so on.  But what I will remember —and I never expected this —is the unconquerable merriment.  I will remember how Peter valued playing with a defeated Leviathan.   Barth said that laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.  I will miss that spring of joy Peter brought, and I will pray to God that I might take it with me and give it away like he did.

John Barr III

ALI teacher for four years at Martha’s Vineyard