Harry Lehotsky, pastor of New Life Ministries here in Winnipeg died last night. He was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer this spring. He was 49.

I just got the news myself so I’m not really ready to eulogize him. Actually, all I’m thinking about is my friend, his son Brandon. Last week we were talking over pizza in a church basement somewhere and it was too much to bear. Too much sadness, too much pain knowing that the end was so near. All I can think about is myself, and how my dad almost died three years ago but medical science had a cure for him. That wasn’t the case for Brandon, though. Maybe in twenty years they’ll have a cure for pancreatic cancer they way they do for cardiomyopathy, but they sure as hell don’t have one now. What makes me so lucky? Because honestly, there’s not much in the way of divine intervention, here. Our fathers live and die by the abilities of modern science, nothing more.

Brandon is one of the best, most easy-going guys I know and I hope this doesn’t change that. Though how could it not? How would it not change you if your dad, an amazing guy who actually made a difference in the world, died so young? When you were so young?

On one level, when we eulogize Harry Lehotsky, it will be easy because he accomplished so much and made this city better and affected so many people. He built affordable housing, he built a restaurant that serves good, inexpensive food, he fought for a neighbourhood that was ignored and forgotten by the rest of the city. His funeral will be massive, and we’ll all grieve together. But in the end, he wasn’t even 50 years old yet. He could have done way more. He had a family that needed him. His sons are all out of high school, but they still need him. Can all of his accomplishments really balance out the inherent tragedy of this?

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