Three Sundays ago a friend phoned me to say that Adam Hunt had died. As she spoke I went through those thoughts that are hoping you have got it wrong. Are they sure it is Adam? I was so sad to hear the news. Has someone jumped the gun, is he just very ill? I was angry and wanted to change the truth. The death of a young person is such a loss we all look for ways to imagine it will be all right really. But it was not just the news of a tragic death, it was Adam. I had enjoyed his company over the years. I knew the family, he had been in a club I ran and gone to a camp I had lead. It was this Adam who had ‘that’ smile, who was so friendly, who had family and friends who would be going through all these thoughts and feelings too. In the week that followed and even now I have to remind myself that he has died. It all seems so unreal. Adam had completed his time at school and after a couple of jobs went to Greece for a change of scene and hoped to be refreshed. But at a time when he was particularly exhausted he drowned while swimming. All of this makes us ask questions about what took place? About what more could have been done? And why such things happen? Perhaps one place to start is to know how fragile life can be and to honour what was so precious about the life of Adam Hunt. Many people have sent cards of condolence and many refer to the speech that he gave in memory of Mr Horrobin a sports master as Chis and Sid who died last year. I had the opportunity to read that address and reflect on Adam. The Adam that came across was a gentle hero. Adam had always loved sport from cricket and rounders at Hurst Primary School. He then got to grips with Rugby at Chis and Sid. He gave himself as a team player, and that generosity won him admirers and loyalty. Some allow their success to go to their heads. But the speech Adam gave in memory of Mr. Horrobin was full of gratitude for what he had learnt, self deprecation for he knew his failings and the confidence that leads people to join in with something wonderful they have to share. Adam was a gentle hero. Adam became the Sports Captain at Chis and Sid and the Vice School Captain. He relished the Rugby tours and one of his group said they would have followed Adam into battle. But then people speak of sport as war without the shooting don’t they. The gentleness of Adam was that he had his doubts as we all do. He paid attention to his looks. He wanted his hair, clothes and manner to be just right; and was not always convinced it was. Adam set himself very high standards. He would do very well and then amaze people that he felt he should have done better. Perhaps we find that strange “how could he have his doubts?” Perhaps it was that gentleness that meant we know we could trust him because we know our weaknesses too. To our memories, grief and struggles we are offered the presence of God who shares with us the pain of a life tragically brought to an early end. The Christian faith is of God living through Jesus Christ who shares a life like ours, shows care, weeps tears, dies a tragic death. God is shown not to be full of the obvious power and might but he is gentle, loyal and determined. But death is not the end. Jesus is raised back to life and that power is offered to us, offered to Adam. This does not make it all right, this life matters and its pains are real. But the steady love of God is with us, shares our loss and gives us hope. Jesus is not the God we expect to find he is both more gentle and better for us than we imagined. I will continue to tell myself that Adam Hunt has died. Something in me expects such a vibrant young life should be immune from early death. But in this remembering I also want to continue to remember him. It will hurt but it is better to know the truth, to know my frailty, to know that God shares this and to have learnt that the path of a ‘gentle hero’ is what gives life the true victory. Revd. Alan Keeler, 18th July 2007