Stephen Rowe: Ideas and Musings: A Memorial Tribute to Gloria Filiault Rowe

Gloria Filiault Rowe

September 23, 1932

January 23, 2011

My mother’s religious conversion (circa 1974) was, throughout her last thirty-six years, radically transformative. By 1978 she was the least worldly person I had ever known. Frankly, I (and many others) thought her fringe beliefs were entirely delusional, yet within a few more years I came to respect and greatly admire her life of spirit and devotion, despite her peculiar theology.

My objective then, for her 2011 memorial service, was to present testimony that would reach two distinct audiences: those who shared her beliefs, and those who continued to believe her religion was simply delusional.

The fact is, a transformative, positive, spiritual practice is not necessarily compromised or diminished just because the encompassing theology or metaphysics are not ‘true.’ Even dogmatic, uncompromising, ‘this is the only way’ theology can still be a vehicle for genuine, authentic, spiritual experience and growth.

How do I know? The proof is documented in my mother’s Bible and in her life, as related below:

A Perspective from Gloria Rowe’s Bible

(Memorial tribute by Stephen Rowe, January 27, 2011)

I want to share a special perspective with you – the perspective provided by Gloria Rowe’s personal Bible. Everyone here knows something of my Mother’s Christian aspect – that is, the Christian virtues she reflected to the world: her faith, humility, charity, loving-kindness and such - and the joy and grace that radiated from her. This is familiar. What I want to share now is a glimpse into the spiritual journey that brought her to this conclusion, as reflected in the duct taped Bible which her old friend Lillian Meyers gave to her on February 25, 1978, just one month shy of thirty-three years ago. [Hold Bible up and ask Lillian Meyers to wave her hand]

The first thing you notice is the duct tape spine needs more duct tape. There is not a page that hasn’t been turned multiple times. Then look at the white-space pages typically in the front and back of books … there is no white space – it is entirely filled with handwritten notes, spiritual reminders, scriptural references, etc. And after the white space was swallowed she continued in the same vein with numerous post-it notes, writing on book-marks, notepad sheets, bank-deposit envelopes … anything she had close at hand became a note between some pages. Then there are hundreds of chapter-verse highlights, underlines, additional references, comments, etc. … and then there are hundreds more … multiple such on nearly every New Testament page and well more than half the Old Testament pages. [Show Bible while speaking - the duct tape, filled-in white space; open to random pages and show highlights, underlines, etc]

These are the footsteps and mile-marks of her journey – and their contents reveal that her journey was in fact an intense and arduous quest. Christianity was not an easy path. She struggled with pride, acceptance, submission, and even faith. And she suffered. And learned along the way, and would write things such as “God often does not remove obstacles, but rather uses our trials to work on us.” And yes, all things are supposed to work together for them that love the Lord, but the interim evidence can seem otherwise at times, and even faith could be hard. But she struggled earnestly, and with Grace prevailed.

The most poignant notes in her Bible, at least to me, are those focused on reflecting Christ to others here in this world – the ones where she says “Help me be like Jesus to others” or “Let others see Jesus through me.” What makes these notes especially poignant is that they usually occur in contexts where she is experiencing deep personal suffering … and her prayer is not “Please take these burdens from me” but rather “Give me the strength so that others may see Jesus through me.”

So her religion was not all happy-talk about Heaven. The reality is that she lived a deep and profound spiritual life right here on earth, in our own time, and in our very midst. And she succeeded in her quest: I can indeed see Jesus Christ in her life, and I know so can many of you. And this spiritual path - or rather the questing and seeking that shaped that path - is very much reflected in this Bible with the duct-tape spine.

Links to two of her favorite hymns:

This is my Father’s World

I Cometo the Garden Alone