5th July 2025. Yesterday Ingria and I attended the Funeral/Thanskgiving Service for my lifelong friend Lol Neat. We lived in the same Coventry street, atternded the same schools and Church youth fellowship. Together with two other boys and a girl – all within a stone’s throw – we formed a guitar band and called ourselves “The Evangelors”. We didn’t realise at the time that we were pioneers in a new burgeoning movement of Christian guitar bands. We would visit all the statutory Youth Clubs in the city, play our songs – a mix of Western Country, Spirituals and our own-composed British Pop – give our testimonies and share the Gospel. Opportunities came along to play at “Youth for Christ” rallies and other churches, and even a Sunday evening open-air slot in the city’s (then new) Shopping Precinct. We were almost offered a recording session by a company who liked our demo-disc, but two of the lads dropped out before we could fulfil that. That sudden change brought about my first ‘lesson’ from Lol.
Before then Lol was the member I was least close to – since he had a childhood sweetheart who would become his wife, and I had a more minor distraction with the girl member of the group. So, in free time I would tag along with the other two lads. But we were faced with a decision: cancel our unfulfilled bookings, or go acoustic and fulfil them – which meant me fast-tracking to play three chords on a guitar. We went for it, and from that day we went from acquaintences to friends. One Saturday, walking down our street to have a practice in the church, there was a lull in our conversation; then Lol observed how nice it was not to feel uncomfortable with silence. and not to feel you had to be talking all the time. I immediately felt accepted as Lol’s friend, and we have remained so ever since, even though my moving around the country with four pastorates meant sometimes we would only meet once a year.
Lol started a family ahead of me, knowing his first was due, I received a handwritten letter from him. His daughter had just been born, and his discovery of the joy of parenthood had issued in a profound new relationship with his heavenly Father, one of deepening wonder – which remained for the rest of his life. I treasured that letter, and shared this discovery with the family when I gave a Tribute yesterday.
One thing my family and his family were agreed on, was that the highlight at the meal table was when Lol shared his latest joke. They were usually side-splittingy funny, but I could never remember them to retell – except for one, which was the story of the ‘Inflatable Boy’, who attended an Inflatable School and was taught by Inflatable Teachers. One day, he took a pin to school with him…………….. On his return home his father noticed how bedraggled he looked, and sternly lectured him: “I am deeply disappointed to see the state you are in, Son; it’s clear what you’ve been up to………… you’ve let your teachers down, you’ve let the whole school down, and you’ve let yourself down!” The ability to laugh at simple things and enjoy hilarious clean jokes is like medicine to the soul. and I shall always be grateful to Lol for that. Yesterday’s service was a time to be sad, as family and friends mourned Lol’s passing, but there was also much cause for smiling and laughing As Ecclesiastes 3:4 says “a time to weep and a time to laugh”.
Thank you, Lol, for what you taught me; and thank you, God, for such a faithful companion on my journey.
Healing in Jesus' Name 