The Measure of a Man

In memory of Clarence Andrew Davis, 1926-2008.

How do we take the measure of a man? We measure it by his service and sense of duty. By this standard, my grandfather, Clarence Davis, was a man worthy of emulating, as he was in so many other ways.

It is fitting that we are here this Memorial Day weekend to remember and honor the life of a man who served his country in Europe during the Second World War, and later in Korea. He was only eighteen when he answered his country's call to service, and that sense of duty he showed back then was an early example of the life of devotion that he would lead.

How do we take the measure of a man? We measure it by the love he pours into his family, and by the love he inspires in others. Again, by this standard, my grandpa exemplified devotion to family. He and grandma were married for nearly six decades, and they saw their family extend over four generations. I was lucky to be a part of that family. During the summers when I was younger, I would practically live up at Ma's and Pa's. During the days, Grandpa would let me feed the fish in his pond, or show me the progress of his garden, or let me tinker with his latest invention. And during the evenings, we'd play caromn and Scrabble, and later, chicken-leg dominoes. To this day I'm convinced he let me win just often enough so that I would keep playing.

Growing up, I thought every family was like this. It was not until I reached adulthood that I realized just how blessed I was to have such a close and loving Christian family, and Pa was a very big part of that.

How do we take the measure of a man? We measure it by his faith. As we have already seen, my Grandpa was faithful to his family and to his country. I'm here to bear witness that he was also faithful to his God. His faith enriched him, inspired him, sustained him and defined him. He passed on this deep legacy of faith to all who knew him, both by teaching and by example. And finally, after a long, full life of joy and love, when God asked of him the last full measure, Clarence Davis gave it peacefully, secure in the knowledge that he had fought a good fight, that he had finished his course, that he had kept the faith. That is how we take the measure of a man, and I can think of no finer example than my grandfather.