I was out to dinner having fun with a friend last Saturday night, and lo and behold I found myself crying for a friend I lost years ago. He was a minister like me, and he spoke out against war in Central America back when. He visited me here in the USA afterwards, and while visiting me he got some death threats.

I offered to let him stay on with me until the death threats blew over, but he said he had to get back to his congregation.

TW

4 months later I turned on CNN to get dressed for work in the morning and there was film of my friend, lying on the lawn of his house. He was dead from a gun shot to the face by what was proven in court to be a military death squad that carried out its threat.

I spoke at his memorial service, and last year I went back down to Central American to visit his grave. His tombstone says the line from John on it, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Since Saturday I've searched myself to figure out what triggered this, and it's Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. day. I have to go to a celebration of it at a church tonight, and I'll manage to put my game face on. But inside I have tears for my friend. I'm glad I have this safe space where I can say so.

Please understand this isn't political for me. He was my friend, one of the best friends I ever had. I miss him.