Today (Sunday, May 31, 2026) is my last day with all of you which means that we’ll be saying goodbye. It’s never an easy thing to do. Perhaps it was providence that I remembered a devotional on the word goodbye by Frederick Buechner, one of my favorite authors. Starting with what he wrote and then digging deeper, I learned that our modern English word “Goodbye” has roots in the Old English word godbwye, which was itself a contraction of the words “God be with ye.” It was with this etymology in mind that the hymn “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” was composed in 1880. As I say goodbye to all of you, I do so with confidence, knowing that God will be with you and believing that we will have the opportunity to see one another in the life to come.
Link to the Buechner devotional: https://www.frederickbuechner.com/quote-of-the-day/2022/5/3/goodbye
P.S. As I prepare to go on leave, I intend for this to be the last blog post I send out by email. I’m thankful for all of you who have taken the time to read what I have written and for the thoughtfulness of your responses.