Dr. Robert Whitaker: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

This week I've done a lot of thinking about what it means to live a good life, even a great one. I remember the zeal of youth when I was going to be perfect. When I related that once a student responded: “How's that workin' for ya?” And, of course, the 'perfect' thing went by the way long ago.

And yet, we all want to get it right. And pretending right doesn't exist or defining it down only deadens our spirit, makes us less human.

This has been on my mind because this week Jane and I lost someone in our life who, with his wife, JoeAnn, really did seem to get it right, enriching our spirits, leading the way. Dr. Robert Whitaker, past President of Hobe Sound Bible College, died on Monday morning and I am one of thousands, I think, who feel like we have lost a point of reference. I've been asking: “How did that happen. What did he do to become that for so many?” Just now I remember one of the reasons.

Eugene Petersen wrote a book titled “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction”, a wondeful path through Psalms with lessons on living an effective and true Christian life. In the fall of 2006 I was thrilled to be able to share with Dr. Whitaker's congregation that to me, Dr. Whitaker is one whose life had profound effectiveness because his was indeed “a long obedience in the same direction.”

Dr. and Mrs. Whitaker have three outstanding sons. Years ago I asked one of them how his folks were doing. They had been serving faithfully in one ministry for 30 years and one son said the obvious: “How might you feel if you'd been in the same place for 30 years?” Nothing negative, but real life understanding. Staying the course is grueling and there are a thousand and more good reasons to find other pastures. Dr. and Mrs. Whitaker stayed the course – a long obedience – and that is one reason so many gathered in Louisville this week to remember him.

Of course it goes beyond sheer endurance to a love that exuded from their lives. They loved Jesus, they loved each other, they loved the work God called them to do, and they loved the people that they served across all those years of ministry. The love was real, unassuming, winsome; the kind of love that filled the family room on a regular basis with sons' friends who wanted to know something of the goodness and fun of that home. This kind of love sweetened the long days and years of faithful service.

I am so deeply disappointed at Dr. Whitaker's passing -- selfishly of course. I just took him for granted. This point of reference who meant far more to me than I knew is now gone. Quite often I would face something really heavy or perplexing and think, “I wish I could ask Dr. Whitaker how he would handle this.” Too seldom did I call. Just four weeks ago I could have sat at lunch with him. But because of busyness and the typical 'don't want to bother him' I never pursued it. So wrong. He would have loved it because his simple long obedience meant that he would take time for me and think nothing of it.

So, like so many friends we were with at the funeral I am asking how I can live out the investment he made so unpretentiously. How can I pass on the blessing? Could I be like him as he was like Christ? I have realized that that is exactly what I want to do – his life had that effect. For one, we can't worry about rising to his stature. As Bobby said in his excellent sermon, “A humble person doesn't think about himself at all.” Self-consciousness and pulse-checking are no path to take if I want to be a great man like Dr. Whitaker.

And then I remember that Dr. Whitaker did this over a lifetime, and few ever rise to his stature even then. It is enough to do the basics and so I come back to that line again and I pray for grace: “Lord, I want my life to be a long obedience in the same direction.” That describes Dr. Whitaker. I pray that someday it will describe me, too.