Like so many others, my family and I have been blessed by our connection to George. It’s an honor to add these words of gratitude to others’ accounts for his acts of genuine kindness and courageous example of integrity and love for humanity and God.
When George and his family lived in southern Illinois for many years, he pastored my parents in their times of need. I remember my dad recounting the anxiety he felt when his own father struggled with illness and had been admitted into the local hospital. One morning when my dad went to his hospital room, he found George sitting by my grandfather’s bedside softly singing hymns to him. In such a time of struggle and fear, George’s simple act of love calmed and deeply comforted my dad. In my mind’s eye, this image of George’s loving response comforts me still.
Another time when I was a single parent one evening I was driving home with my grade-school age kids when a blizzard sprung up. It was dark. The wind buffeted my car on the highway, the snow fell in horizontal lines in the headlight beams. This time I sang hymns to myself to try to stave off panic. I lived out in the country on a road of winding hills and feared getting stuck with the children. George and his family came to mind. I grabbed my cellphone. How did I have his number? I’m not sure, but when I called, George picked up. His calm kind voice stilled my fears. When we got to their house, sandwiches were waiting for us. Then his family grabbed blankets and pillows so that the children and I could stretch out on sofas for the night. I will never forget how Love met my frantic single-parent mother worry with this gentle tenderness.
Finally, over the years, from time to time, my path crossed with George’s in small ways as he worked on his book, The Ram in a Thicket. His deep love for God and for Christian Science rings with integrity and scholarly clarity throughout its pages. I can only imagine the resistance and criticism his narrative likely caused. If so, then I admire his persistence to see the book in print even more. His character of concern and deep faith shine through it as well as his frank observations of disconnect from Christian lovingkindness found in some CS church practices. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. George was never indifferent, never neutral when it came to pointing out practices that alienated those in need. If his mission on earth was to do good, he did very well.
On behalf of my grandparents, my parents and myself, I’m grateful for George’s impact and example in our lives.
With love,
Joan Fernandez (Snyder)
On behalf of Howard and Melva Snyder, and Jack and Gloria Snyder
Dear Joan, Thank you for this beautiful tribute to George. A real treasure of memories. BW