Browjan's Blog: The Long Good-Bye

Memories of a country/city preacher by George Farrington

My father George shared this memory with me, after he came to live with me and before his death in July, 2014.

In 1976, we moved to the big city of Long Beach to take a church in an inner city area. It was much different from our past ministry in the sleepy country valley. We lived on a dirt road there, with our only neighbor a brisk walk from the parsonage to the little grey church. We always knew that any car coming down that road was coming to see us, and coffee was always on to welcome them. We never worried about crime in the valley, and I never locked the church. In fact, I never had a key for it as it was long ago misplaced. The church philosophy was in place long before my arrival. It was to be a place of prayer and available to all at any time. Of course, some friendly migrant workers found this a place for rest and sleep as they walked from one job to another. They never hurt anyone or left any mess. And I always made it a point to wake them up a good hour or two before any Sunday service. In the late 60s and early 70s, we all appreciated these zealous workers. 

So you can imagine the shock to our senses, when we moved from our serene country ministry to one in the busy city of Long Beach, California. Now we lived on a busy road with buses that shook our tiny parsonage as they rumbled by. Our neighborhood contained many wonderful friendly neighbors, but it also had a lot of crime, quite a juxtaposition  from life in the little country town. 

We loved the new ministry in this melting pot of a neighborhood. We had a multi-international church, and our potlucks were terrific. Filipino food, Soul food, and Asian cuisine! So many wonderful cultures who met with the same love and purpose for God. It is funny as I think of it now, because I wanted to be a missionary but was declined by mission boards because of my crippled feet! God brought this wonderful mission field to me! There was only one concern. 

A lot of crime was happening in our neighborhood, and I began to second guess having moved there.  I prayed a lot about it and was concerned for the safety of my family. God heard my prayers and gave me a strange experience to assure me that we were protected. This experience was so personal that I did not share it for many years. But I share it now because maybe it will encourage future generations.

Nighttime Visitor

“My wife and I were asleep in bed, and our son Jimmy was in his room down the hall from us.  I remember waking up suddenly to a soft, peaceful light at the end of my bed.  It was shaped like a man but it had no features, almost the opposite of a shadow as no darkness was in it. It didn’t speak. In fact, the room was blanketed in total peace and an almost holy silence. 

 I watched this figure serenely glide about my bedroom and felt no fear. I only felt curious. Who was this ghostly figure, and why was it visiting us?

After watching it move about for several minutes, I decided to address my questions. ‘Who are you?’ I quietly called out.   ‘What do you want?’ 

I purposely kept my voice low, not wanting to wake my wife Evie still sleeping beside me. But at the sound of my voice she jerked awake. 

“What is that?” she clutched at my arm. Now I was certain this was not a dream, or figment of my imagination brought on by last evening’s multi cultural potluck!

We both sat up in bed and continued to watch the figure of light as It glided about our room. It would go to the window that faced the church parking lot, then to the foot of our bed like a solder standing guard. Then as if it was being directed, it silently glided out of our room and began moving up and down the hallway toward Jimmy’s room and then back toward the living room. 

I definitely wanted to learn the purpose of this celestial visitor. “I’m going to ask it what it is doing here,” I told Evie, as I began to get out of bed.   Evie would have none of that. She grabbed my arm and said, ‘No, George, leave it alone!’  Before I could find my slippers, it silently glided back into our room. It went over our bed with almost a rush of air, like someone had just turned on a ceiling fan, and came to an abrupt landing in front of the same bedroom window facing the church parking lot where it had earlier kept silent vigil. 

Startled, I called out again, this time in a loud, firm voice, “What do you want?” At my words, it instantly vanished.  Total silence enveloped the room. 

“Well, it’s gone now,” I patted Evie’s hand. “You can go back to sleep.” Of course Evie, would not sleep until I turned on the lamp and visited the bathroom, got a drink in the kitchen, and looked in on Jimmy still quietly snoring in his bed—his favorite stuffie clutched firmly to his chest. None of this nightly visit had disrupted his sleep. Nor had it disrupted Tammy our deaf German Shepherd curled on the floor by his bed. There was no sign of our visitor, and all was well. I wasn’t afraid at all. Just slightly bewildered. Who was this visitor, and what was it doing here? I returned to bed, and after assuring Evie, I prayed a quick prayer with her of thanksgiving. We were both immediately blanketed in peace and tranquility. God covered us with a deep fatigue, and we drifted back to sleep.  

Protection from Evil

“The next morning, with the incident fresh in my mind, I looked around outside that bedroom window where the light had hovered and stayed. Just beneath it, I found footprints in the ground and some cigarette butts.  Someone unusual and not belonging to our family, had been there. Perhaps they had been scared away when I called out loudly, ‘What do you want?’

As I stared at the ground and the evidence of someone who had been hovering uninvited outside, Peace, who is a Person, flooded my heart with confidence and great joy. I knew the light was an angel God had sent to protect us.  From that moment on,  I knew I had nothing to fear and nothing to worry about. God was with us, and He was protecting us.  

How it Affected My Ministry

We remained in Long Beach for over twelve years. The church, just next door to our house, was robbed once. The homes up and down our long and busy boulevard experienced robberies and other more serious crimes including rape, and one murder. But our home was never touched. 

We continued to have a highly effective ministry there, and my encounter with the angel had a profound impact on my work. Although I never spoke of the angel, I was always mindful of its presence. Peace accompanied me constantly. Amid a community often plagued by disruption and turmoil, Peace was our steadfast companion. Though I kept the angel’s presence to myself, I aimed to convey its mission to my congregation. I wanted my flock to experience the same deep Peace that I knew so well. We were not driven by fear but guided by a profound sense of God’s presence. Peace was with us.

This Peace remains with us still today in my twilight years.

As I reflect, I am reminded of John Wesley, the renowned Methodist preacher who experienced a profound sense of peace despite facing numerous trials in his ministry. Wesley was always aware of God’s presence with him. It is recorded that as he lay dying, he declared, “Best of all, God was with us.” I deeply resonate with his final words. Indeed, God has been with us and continues to be as I navigate the journey of old age. My greatest hope is that this peace will endure for the generations that follow. There is no greater gift I can offer than this legacy of Peace—an unyielding flame that flickers softly in the heart, undeterred by the fiercest of storms. Best of all, Peace is with you.