Amy Briggs

Amy Briggs was there the first time I saw the Body.

I remember Alliance smelled like cigarettes because of the 24-hour bail bonds place next door. I remember Dean and Amy asking me over for lunch. They said they hoped Alliance might become my church community while in Bolivar but if that wasn't the case, they wanted to help me find one elsewhere.

I didn't know what to say to that.

I remember talking to them about love and marriage. Amy said she realized one day that if she had to be stuck on an island somewhere with someone she would want it to be Dean. So she married him. I thought that sounded so unspiritual. So unchurchy. I loved it.

Dean and Amy prayed with me. When I was hurt by religion they prayed with me. When I was disillusioned by college they prayed for me. When my dad was diagnosed they prayed with me. When my dad died they cried and prayed with me. They were one of two couples who opened themselves up for me those years, who modeled the Body to me because they realized their marriages were "the mystery...I speak concerning Christ and His church."

So unchurchy...and yet, the Church.

Amy Briggs met the Lord this weekend. Amy Briggs fought a battle with breast cancer for about a year and this weekend she won.

Everything closes in around us and presses on us mercilessly and tells us she lost. But she won.

She no longer has faith but rather reality. She no longer has tears but rather dancing. We cry and we cry and we wonder how and we wonder why and we get pissed as hell.....

And she dances and dances, the LORD uttering the name He's had waiting for her for all eternity. The name no one knows but Him and no one can call her but Him because no one can really know us like Him, right down to our very name.

When I got the news this morning I cried and cried and prayed and prayed and got pissed as hell. And then I remembered that funny thing she said about marrying Dean because she thought she could be stranded on an island with him.

It doesn't sound so silly anymore. It sounds prophetic. It sounds wise. And it sounds true.

Thank you Amy.

jr