Tomorrow, we bury one of our island elders. Friends and family will take the ferry from the mainland to come and say one final goodbye to Franklin, spending time together as an extended family to laugh, cry, comfort one another, and celebrate his life as the island comes together to host this important event.
It would be easy to look at this moment as one that highlights the seemingly inevitable decline of the Gullah presence on Daufuskie. As we say here, time and tide wait for no man. The number of native Gullah residents still living on Daufuskie is now well below 20, so the loss of one reverberates throughout the entire community. While some, like Sallie Ann Robinson, work tirelessly to preserve the culture through books and tours and experiences, at the heart of those memories are people who created them, and without the underlying people, those memories will ultimately fade.
But Franklin won’t be missed because he was a Gullah by heritage. He will be missed because he was a husband and father. He was a friend to many and someone who could be counted on to do the work that he said he would do. He was the man who brought Ethel Mae the crab that she needed to turn them into a local delicacy, while providing for his family with whatever else his rod might bring to the surface. It wasn’t because of the connection to a broader demographic category that Frank’s life had meaning, but rather because of the individual relationships that he was uniquely positioned to be a part of.
Frank’s wife would regularly sing a song in church called “Get right with God.” No doubt, there is no more important relationship to be in than our relationship with God. But God ordains that we have relationships with others as well, relationships that will also have lasting impacts beyond our days here on earth. Relationships like being a husband, or a father, or a friend. Relationships with people who will carry on your memory long after you have left this world behind. These are the relationships that matter because they were formed in community, where love could be expressed in meaningful and tangible ways. The people who will gather together to both mourn and celebrate Frank do so precisely because his life touched others.
So tomorrow at 11:00, we will gather at the Maryfield Cemetery to pay our respects to Franklin Wiley. If you knew the man and his family and are on the island, come and join us. Otherwise, please lift the family up in your prayers.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron