I promised one of my grandsons that I would send him this Bernie Siegel quotation so that he would know more about his grandfather who died one month he was born.

From Bernie Siegel, MD in Peace, Love and Healing:

I believe that in our earthly lives we exist as physical manifestations of the Loving, Intelligent Energy that we call God. 

Self-love is an acknowledgement of the spark of the Divine that is in each of us, no matter what our imperfections, and out of self-love comes the ability to reach out and Love others.

Your Grandfather Lew adopted this definition of God in the last years of his life because it embraces his broad and embracing faith that did not exclude others.

Once when he was officiating at a funeral at St David’s for an Episcopal woman. Her husband was well-known and Jewish. When Lew issued the invitation to come forward for bread and wine, he was intentionally and broadly inclusive. The huge chapel was packed including with this man’s Jewish friends; most of them came forward to receive the bread and wine. 

This loving inclusiveness was the essence of Lew Mills’ theology: Jesus, who was Jewish, came to share that love with all people without exception. God is a loving God whose loving, intelligent Energy embraces each of us right now just as we are.

Lew was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination; he knew his imperfections; he did not love perfectly either. However, he also knew that he and all people thrive when they are loved; therefore, God has to be a loving, not a punishing, God. And he was determined to share that love as far and wide as he could.

One morning after the 8 am service in St David’s Old Church, he hugged “a little old blue-haired lady” as he would describe her generation. (Now I am one of them although my gray hair is not tinted with blue rinse. And as I always told Lew. I am a woman, not a lady.) The next elderly woman in line asked, “How do I get one of those?” He immediately embraced her with his unique and encompassing bear hug. In her instructions for her funeral, she requested that Lew officiate.

At the end of his life Lew realized that when he was preaching about this Loving Intelligent Energy “we sometimes call God,” he was most authentic. Becoming more of who he was created to be was his goal in life. He taught me much about becoming more authentic as he Loved me with a capital L, with all my imperfections, so that I can reach out and Love others. 

You are welcome to share this “Joy and Lew homily” as you care to, with love and blessings, Grandmother Joy.