Talking Tuesday: With Broken Hearts

I'm still reeling today from the shocking news of Fr. Matthew Baker's death in terrible car accident on Sunday night.  The roads were bad and he was returning home from Vespers with their six children, ages 12-2.  Somehow, none of the children were hurt, but Fr. Matthew went on to be with the Lord.  Presvetera Katie is still grieving the loss of a stillborn 17 week baby, Alexis, and is now left with six children to raise.  My heart just hurts for all of them.  The Bakers were our neighbors at seminary, and we have many memories of times spent hanging out with their family that year, and off and on in the years since.  Katie is one my mothering heroes, and I'm so grateful to count her as friend.  Fr. Matthew was a brilliant man, a serious and thoughtful Orthodox scholar, a caring priest, and so many other things.  Fr. Stephen Damick's tribute to Fr. Matthew says everything I want to, and more, as we were all neighbors at the same time.  I think Fr. Stephen describes Fr. Matthew perfectly:

"Not only did Fr. Matthew do all his homework when it came to understanding what he was talking about on any given subject (from physics to klezmer to, yes, Patristic theology), but he somehow knew how to synthesize nearly any subjects together. We used to joke that we could say something like, “Duran Duran, GMOs, and Apollinarianism—go!” and he could come up with authentically deep links between them.

He was someone for whom the world was not a series of subjects, but a single logos."

~Fr. Stephen Andrew Damick, "We Need More Spiritual Brothers: Losing Fr. Matthew Baker" Roads From Emmaus Blog, March 2, 2015.

I confess that it all just seems unfair (and more than a little unreal).  I know that God's ways are not our ways, and it is in these times that I am forcibly reminded of this fact.  In the meantime, please consider giving to the relief fund for Katie and her family, as Fr. Matthew was their sole source of support.  I hear that someone has arranged a temporary vehicle for them, and they are staying with the local priest, who is another seminary friend, so I'm confident they are in good hands right now, but this path will be a long and hard one, and I know they will need our love and support for many years to come.

Memory eternal to Fr. Matthew Baker!