Chan West, Continuing Jesus’ Ministry of Storytelling
photo of Chan by Kathleen Wesson
“Jesus invites us into a story bigger than ourselves, bigger than our culture, even bigger than our imaginations, yet we get to tell that story with the scandalous particularity of our moment and place in time. We are storytelling creatures because we are fashioned in the image of a storytelling God. May we never neglect that gift. May we never lose our love for telling the tale.”–Rachel Held Evans in Inspired (Nelson Books Nashville), p. 164.
Chan West died on August 1, 2021, at age 91. Everyone who met her will miss her and want to share Chan stories with you. She was a faithful member of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Before the 8 am service, you would find her in the kitchen, fixing refreshments, arranging the altar flowers, setting the altar, reading the lectionary readings, or praying the prayers of the people. She was almost always barefoot before the service.
photo by Joanna Campbell
If you took the time to talk to her, you heard stories from her life at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, where, as a child during World War II, she met German spies who came ashore. Or you heard about the times she encountered alligators or the turtles she saved. She was an original turtle person, looking for signs of new nests to care for before the baby turtles hatched, helping them migrate back to the sea. Or you might have heard about the Christian Service Center, where she served others for many years. Or you might have been on one of her tours of the Refuge. Perhaps you were with her when she stopped a church service to rescue a dying dog that had been dropped off at the church during difficult times.
These are all beautiful ministries, but I most remember someone we always wanted to be with on our visits to Holy Spirit. She had a unique ability to make you feel comfortable in her presence. Maybe it was because she was so comfortable in herself. I don’t know what it was. Others may have a better idea. Living so close to the land all your life and loving it makes you feel alive and comfortable in your own skin, and keeps you in touch with God’s presence, which is so clearly revealed in the world around you. Perhaps it’s about recognizing the cycle of life and love each day and appreciating its beauty even in challenging times.
Others describe her as a no-nonsense person. Some say her passion for life was contagious. All remember her generosity with her time for the earth and for all those she met. She is the person you think will never die because she is so alive. Well, of course, she has not died. She will live in the hearts of each of us until we meet her again and undoubtedly hear more of her stories.
Joanna Seibert https://www.joannaseibert.com/
photo by Kathleen Wesson