Lennox Farrell, an Encourager

On Saturday morning, I visited the Saint Catherines Seventh-day Adventist Church. I was pleasantly surprised to see Lennox Farrell, a friend of four decades, teaching one of the Sabbath school classes. Of course, I headed inside the sanctuary right away and joined his class. Upon noticing his wife, Joan, sitting at the back of the class, I went and sat beside her.

Both Joan and Lennox (especially him) have had a profound positive influence in my life since I was a boy.

One Sabbath during the early 70's, a visiting pastor or missionary at the Scarborough SDA Church shared a mission experience with us. Near the end of his story, Lennox joined him on the pulpit. When he had finished, Lennox enlightened the congregation about what Africa really looks like.

Provoked to the core of his being by the story of an African SDA Christian who was riding a bicycle with a woman's handbag around his neck, collecting donations for the church's annual Ingathering campaign, Lennox was unable to keep his seat. His primary complaint was that after the extensive period of time that this gentleman had spent in Africa, why could he not have found a better image of Africa to portray?

As a first year university student at the University of Toronto in 1977, I joined the Black Students' Union. The club leadership wisely arranged for a series of Black motivational speakers to make presentations to us. Lennox was one of these speakers. I was once again encouraged, inspired and guided by him when he spoke to us.

Seeing Lennox on Saturday morning at church brought these snap shots in time back to my mind.

These are the things that Lennox impressed upon me most whenever I read about him in the news during the 1980's or met him in person at church or at his home in the Jane & Finch community.

• integrity
• a willingness to stand up for your personal convictions and beliefs
• a willingness to stick his neck out to support and fight for those who have little or no opportunity to make their own voice be heard
• intelligent, articulate, a thinker
• a family man, a friend and a brother  

Lennox, thank you so very much for being a shining example of what manhood, Christianity and civic responsibility look like and sound like.