Since writing about Andrew Walls I was reminded about these thoughts again more recently when I had the privilege of attending the funeral of Don Lewis who had taught at Regent College in Vancouver for 40 years.
These men were born more than 20 years apart and made their homes on different continents. As well as both studying at Oxford they had many other things in common.
There was no self importance in either of these men. No sense of their time being more valuable and them having to allocate it strategically.
They both had a global influence through writing and teaching. But you wouldn’t know that when Andrew would make you a cup of tea or Don would pray with you on his sofa. They made time and space for people.
A few footnotes in honour of these professors
1. I only really thought of this title after I had finished the recording
2. 1 A “Don” is a term for a University teacher or a senior fellow at Oxford or Cambridge.
2.2 Although only one of these academics was named Don they were both Dons.
3.1 In addition Andrew Wallis spent a good chunk of life in Aberdeen which is between the Dee and the Don river
3.2 A former student from Australia talks about calling Don Lewis “The Don”, less because of his given name and more as a mark of respect in their culture for their greatest sporting hero Don “The Don” Bradman.
