A man of love: New book honors John Walker's life

By Lucy Chumbley
from Washington Window
Vol. 73, No. 9, September 2004

Fifteen years after Bishop John Walker's untimely death, a book that honors his life, his ministry and his vision for the Diocese of Washington is finally in print.

Walker's widow, Maria, got the idea for the book immediately after her husband's death, but the journey to John Walker - A Man for the 21 st Century , written by Robert Harrison and published by Forward Movement, took longer than she had anticipated.

Despite the delay, it seemed somehow fitting that to share Walker 's story, his friends and family had to employ one of his most admirable characteristics: perseverance.

"Basically this book is a product of love," Maria Walker said. "People who loved my husband really wanted this to happen. It's very emotional for me when I think of that."

After years of unsuccessful attempts to find an author and raise sufficient funds, the book idea seemed to be stuck in a rut, she said, perched beneath an oil painting of her husband in her home near the Washington National Cathedral. But last year, a new burst of energy galvanized the book committee into action - this time with a result.

But why a book? Walker 's legacy is lodged firmly in the hearts of the people he loved and who loved him back. His presence is almost tangible in his former home, where he smiles out from numerous family photos. And his influence in the wider community is still evident, as a recent tribute from presidential candidate John Kerry proves.

Maria Walker was set on a book for two reasons, she said: the feeling that her husband had not accomplished all that he set out to do, and the hope that his example could offer others the inspiration to make a difference in the world.

"There were just so many things that he wanted to get involved with that after he died, I just felt that his life was shortened - it was cut off," she said.

Among Walker 's passions were youth ministry, building on the partnerships he had established with Honduras and South Africa and developing the outreach ministry of the Washington National Cathedral.

Walker was instrumental in completing the Washington National Cathedral - he whittled down its debt and presided over its dedication. And he had a clear vision about how this new treasure of the Episcopal Church was to be used.

"He didn't want us to have the cathedral be a museum," Maria Walker said. "He wanted it to be a place that was alive - bubbling with excitement."

He also wanted the cathedral to be a center for social ministry - to open its magnificent doors wide to the poor and downtrodden.

"He just felt that was so crucial - bringing people in," she said.

During his life, Walker welcomed numerous people into his own home.

"We had many people living with us," Maria Walker said, recalling a constant stream of houseguests. "If someone needs a place to stay - invite them in."

Walker 's availability, as well as his hospitality, made people feel truly loved.

He made time for his family, attending his children's important events, and he made time for others, too. He was the kind of person people felt they could approach in the grocery store, confide in. He was not judgmental, and he always made time to listen.

"He was a man who was really full of love," his wife said. "Every sermon he wrote talked a lot about love. He thought that was the main thing that would make a difference - how much you loved and cared for people."

And Walker believed in making a difference.

The son of Georgia sharecroppers, his life was a tribute to hard work and perseverance.

"He grew up poor, and his mother struggled really hard for him to have an education," Maria Walker said. "Through his education, he was able to make a difference."

And how.

Walker's achievements include ordaining one of the first women priests, working to end apartheid in South Africa, helping to found the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, serving as chairman of Africare, the Black Student Fund and the Urban Bishops Coalition, and inviting Martin Luther King Jr. to preach what turned out to be his final Sunday sermon at Washington National Cathedral.

Although his life, like King's, was cut short, Walker was able to move society forward in giant strides while he was here on earth.

"They live for such a short time, but boy, what an impact they make," Maria Walker said. And their vision lives on, into the 21 st century that neither of them lived to see.

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