Dr. John Linna ~ A Man of Peace and Friendship
Way back in November 2006 during the very first launch of BlogBlast For Peace (we called it Dona nobis pacem in the blogosphere back then), I received a peace globe from Wisconsin from a pastor named Dr. John Linna. His blog is called Dr. John's Fortress. I was so impressed with his peace post and moved by his writing and thoughts. To receive a globe from a pastor was very special to me. My grandfather would have loved it.
Dr. John Linna passed away this week.
He left a legacy of friendships across the world and a treasure cove of eternal words on his blog. He was a man of faith and humor. It was apparent he had a heart for people. He had a simple and profoundly real trust in his God and was loved and respected by many as a leader, a family man, a pastor, a writer. So many bloggers have written posts in his honor this week and spoke of how much they miss him already.
I would like to repost Dr. John's words from 2006. It is a challenge to those left behind and a testament to the man who wrote it.
My sympathies to his family, his church, his community, his friends - online and off.
I am glad he passed my way.
"Saying for the day: May God's Peace fill your life.
There are two roads to peace.
One road requires that we human beings put aside our differences, our old hatreds, our desire to force everybody to be like us, our greed, and all the other things that divide us.
Then we work for the good of all human beings.
At the end of that road there is no starvation, no poverty.
There is health care for everybody.
There is no killing and no war.
There is harmony and real peace.
That’s one road.
The other road is a road of revenge, getting even, and making things right.
On this road people either agree or we kill them.
Some of the people on this road will have most of the good things.
People will starve.
Sickness will run rampant.
There will be war after war.
Finally there will be peace.
It will be the peace of the graveyard.
There will be no humans to ruin the peace.
Which road will we humans go down?"
Please take the time to pay your condolences to his family and leave a word for them at this online guestbook. It was created by his close friend Thom, who lives in Hawaii and writes Thom's Place For Whatever. He did a beautiful job with it.
Photography credit: Mimi Lenox
12 comments:
Wise words. Prayers for the family and friends of Dr. John.
A beautiful tribute Mimi...
I think you did a wonderful tribute to Dr.John. He will surely be missed.
This is a wonderful tribute Mimi and I thank you very much. He was a great man and is going to be missed by many. Thank you for suggesting the Guest Book. Brilliant idea and thanks for promoting it. Rest In Peace Dr. John.
I loved to read his posts. even his sermons on Sundays. He was the first pastor I read since years and I didn't get bored. I will miss him.
(BTW the link to Dr. Johns post is broken)
Another beautiful tribute to Dr. John Mimi. He will be missed so much.
I am seeing tributes everywhere. It is quite touching.
I think I was one of the very few in our blogging community that wasn't a reader of Dr John. He seems to have had wide impact. I'm very sorry for his passing.
his words touched many in the weblog world....
well done Mimi.
Sorry to read of his passing. You wrote a nice tribute to Dr. John.
I had not heard of him before.
Mimi, thank you for sharing Dr. John's profound wisdom with us here. I wish I'd known him better.
Jennifer - I'm sure the prayers are appreciated muchly.
Dawn - Thanks for stopping by today dearie.
Pam -Yes, he definitely will.
Thom - You're welcome but I did little. You are the one who carried through and made the beautiful book. I know his family will cherish your gift to them.
Gattina - I'll bet he smiled when he heard that!
Akelamalu - So many folks loved him.
Travis - Community is a good way of describing the likes of bloggers. Thanks for commenting.
Kat - Indeed they did.
Patti - I think you and Ralph would have really loved his writing.
Felicitas - He was a wise man. Very true.
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