Super Sam
Hello everyone. Shannon here. As many of you already know by now, our buddy Super Sam Santhuff passed away this past Friday, September 19th. You may remember Sam from this blog post from this past May:
http://oddwalkministries.com/oddblog/2014/05/11/super-sam-his-light/
This morning, on a Facebook page dedicated to Sam, I shared the following reflection, which Orin has encouraged me to share here:
Yesterday, my wife Erin and I were given the great privilege of singing this song at Super Sam’s funeral. Thanks so much to Matt (Dad) and Cassie (Mom) for this amazing opportunity. It was truly an honor.
In the weeks following Cassie’s post in March revealing that Sam’s cancer had returned, I, like the rest of you, was trying to focus my prayer. I, of course, believe in a God who works miracles, but I also knew where this road could lead. To be grounded, but believe that, with God, anything is possible, is always a weird place to be. This lead me to seek guidance in scripture, and in particular, the first part of the Gospel of John, which was speaking of Jesus, the Word. Three things jumped out at me. 1. Jesus was, is, and always will be. 2. None of the life around us came to be without Jesus. 3. The Light (Jesus) shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. This was the confidence in faith that I was looking for. I was reminded that no matter where Sam’s journey led, Jesus would be present through it all. While I, of course, prayed fervently for Sam’s complete healing, I knew that no darkness, no suffering, no death could ever extinguish the light of Jesus. This is where the song came from. I was not looking to write a tribute to Sam. I was looking for a way to pray about and for Sam.
Sam reflected (and continues to reflect) God’s light for all of us. Even in his death, Sam is proving that no darkness can ever shut out God’s light. Look at what he has inspired! Look how many lives he touched! Look at how a little boy who exuded goodness was able to capture the hearts of so many! Could we not do the same? Many of us carry with us attitudes of cynicism, anger, mistrust, polarization, and selfishness. Sam carried none of those. Sam carried God’s light, not his own, which is what drew us so closely to him. Imagine the impact we could have on our communities and the rest of the world if we chose to do the same.
Here is the song, as posted on Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/oddwalk/his-light