by Chris Seay
I love Kyle Lake, his family, and his church, University Baptist Church.
Last night I journeyed through the maze of mourners to see his body and be with his family and this tragedy leapt into my soul and became real, permanent, and fatal. I can’t hide from it anymore and the grief is devouring parts of me. My friend is gone. Kyle will be buried in one of those fine-jogging suits that only Kyle and west coast rappers can pull of well. He always looked good in those silky nylon suits. Let’s be honest Kyle looked good in everything, and it was more than the sum of his features. He had an uncanny ability to light up a room and draw people to him.
In 1999 I moved to Houston and left my dear friend, Kyle, as Pastor of UBC the church I planted. I called him six months later to tell him what I missed most about Waco, Texas where I had lived and served the last decade. At lunchtime every day in Houston, I got a little depressed. You see Kyle and I had lunch together almost every day, we ate at a new restaurant/upscale pool hall and we played pool and shuffleboard. There was a friendly rivalry and regular wagers for who would pick up the tab. It was a sacred place for us where conversations one day were painful and serious and the next day was nonstop laughter. We brought lots of friends with us through the years and often set up appointments with university students seeking friendship, counsel, and encouragement. We threw in a free game of billiards. I miss those conversations, his fearless sarcasm, wit, and humor. I miss my friend and I am angry.
I can’t find a good place to direct my anger. Why the hell did Ben Franklin discover electricity? Why isn’t UBC Episcopalian? I guess that would make it UEC. But mostly this is about a God who would allow this to happen in front of his congregation? This whole thing is dreadful and all I can do is pray that in Kyle’s family and the church he loved so much that something beautiful will come from all this darkness. I’ll pray a lot, try my best to have Kyle’s sense of humor, and I’m gonna go buy the finest/most expensive jogging suit I can find. I’ll be wearing it often and remembering a man I love.
