A Tribute to Dr. Hicks
by Dr. Ray Easley

As the sun lifted its face above the craggy pikes of the Rocky Mountains, I stood gazing thoughtfully at the recently covered grave of the late Dr. Donald E. Hicks on July 10, 2004. The day before—my 53rd birthday, we had laid to rest the body of a very dear friend of mine at the outskirts of the sleepy little town of Parachute, Colorado.

While standing alongside the grave of my mentor in pastoral and educational ministry, I became mesmerized by the image my shadow cast in the early morning sunlight. The long gauntly shadow pointed to his grave and then beyond to the Western horizon. I thought, “How interesting! We usually associate long shadows with the EVENING time. But this shadow comes from the morning sun!”

Then my thoughts turned toward my friend who at the age of 72 had, much too early in life, walked toward the evening sun and passed beyond the horizon. He had cast a long shadow. He was a tall man. He walked straight and unwaveringly into that sunset, sending a clear and encouraging message for all of us who follow.
I understand that sunsets had for fifty years captivated Don’s imagination. They had given him inspiration and hope. The closer he moved to that horizon and final sunset of life, the larger grew his shadow. As I contemplated that “shadow,” I began to understand that Dr. Hicks had impacted my life by his:

• Trusting young people to the point that they had faith in their own abilities;
• Reveling in the beauty of nature as illustrative of the majesty of God;
• Possessing an optimism that gave courage and hope to his associates;
• Believing in the Church as a divine instrument of God; and
• Living a life of true holiness without the phony tapestry of selfishness.

And now, we younger folks who follow him stand with our backs to the rising sun and see the morning shadow stretching into our future, beckoning for a commitment to God and his purposes. As we walk toward that future, we will find the shadow of the morning sun shorten and then disappear under the blazing, intense rays of mid-life ministry and engagement. With the passing of what seems just a day or two, we will find that our shadows have quietly and unrelentingly shifted to an evening shadow.

Will those who follow us find that our lengthening shadow signals a word of faithfulness, trust, and hope?

O Christ of God, Your gracious presence and power enabled Don Hicks to live life to its fullest. He set an example for us who remain. Grant to us your Holy Spirit to cleanse and empower for consistent holy living. May we walk faithfully and purposefully with You as we find our shadows growing in the evening sun. In the name of Him who has eternally defeated death and offers life everlasting—Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Tribute to Dr. Hicks
by Dr. Ray Easley

As the sun lifted its face above the craggy pikes of the Rocky Mountains, I stood gazing thoughtfully at the recently covered grave of the late Dr. Donald E. Hicks on July 10, 2004. The day before—my 53rd birthday, we had laid to rest the body of a very dear friend of mine at the outskirts of the sleepy little town of Parachute, Colorado.

While standing alongside the grave of my mentor in pastoral and educational ministry, I became mesmerized by the image my shadow cast in the early morning sunlight. The long gauntly shadow pointed to his grave and then beyond to the Western horizon. I thought, “How interesting! We usually associate long shadows with the EVENING time. But this shadow comes from the morning sun!”

Then my thoughts turned toward my friend who at the age of 72 had, much too early in life, walked toward the evening sun and passed beyond the horizon. He had cast a long shadow. He was a tall man. He walked straight and unwaveringly into that sunset, sending a clear and encouraging message for all of us who follow.
I understand that sunsets had for fifty years captivated Don’s imagination. They had given him inspiration and hope. The closer he moved to that horizon and final sunset of life, the larger grew his shadow. As I contemplated that “shadow,” I began to understand that Dr. Hicks had impacted my life by his:

• Trusting young people to the point that they had faith in their own abilities;
• Reveling in the beauty of nature as illustrative of the majesty of God;
• Possessing an optimism that gave courage and hope to his associates;
• Believing in the Church as a divine instrument of God; and
• Living a life of true holiness without the phony tapestry of selfishness.

And now, we younger folks who follow him stand with our backs to the rising sun and see the morning shadow stretching into our future, beckoning for a commitment to God and his purposes. As we walk toward that future, we will find the shadow of the morning sun shorten and then disappear under the blazing, intense rays of mid-life ministry and engagement. With the passing of what seems just a day or two, we will find that our shadows have quietly and unrelentingly shifted to an evening shadow.

Will those who follow us find that our lengthening shadow signals a word of faithfulness, trust, and hope?

O Christ of God, Your gracious presence and power enabled Don Hicks to live life to its fullest. He set an example for us who remain. Grant to us your Holy Spirit to cleanse and empower for consistent holy living. May we walk faithfully and purposefully with You as we find our shadows growing in the evening sun. In the name of Him who has eternally defeated death and offers life everlasting—Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.