An Appreciation of Henry Osmaston by Jim Dobson
Reading of 1 John 4: 7-11
In that reading that we have just heard I wonder what you would score Henry if I asked you to give a score out of 100 of how you think Henry did in loving his neighbour throughout his life. I know that I would give him 110, which Henry, with his accurate scientific background would get quite cross about. "You can't have more than 100% ever."
Henry seemed to have a natural ability to love all those he came into contact with, usually taking much more care of them than he did of himself. I would like to spend a little time looking at how Henry loved those around him.
Firstly Henry loved all people. It didn't matter what race, background, gender etc that a person came from, they were all treated in exactly the same way. I remember when travelling by car with Henry that when we had to stop for a rest break I would know that if there was anyone within 200 or 300 yards of the car he would make a beeline for them and engage them in conversation. His face would beam with excitement as he met a new person. It was fascinating to watch as he used his natural counselling skills in helping a person to open up to him. His insatiable curiosity would lead him to ask many questions and do lots of listening, such that after a short while Henry would have built up a real relationship with that person.
Loving other people isn't perhaps that unusual a gift, but Henry took his love of others beyond talk into action. Getting to know someone well is fascinating but inevitably concerns and problems within their lives soon come out into the open, and at that stage I am quite happy to stop the relationship getting a further realising the cost in time and effort that would be involved in helping this person. But not Henry. The cost involved in helping others never seemed to even cross his mind. I remember soon after marrying into the Osmaston family, when they were living at Regil farm in Somerset, Henry going into Bristol to do some shopping. He was meant to be back by lunchtime; as always there was a huge backlog of work waiting for him in his study, but he still hadn't returned by the evening meal. Eventually when he arrived back for a very late supper we prised out of him the following story. He had been rushing along the streets of Bristol thinking about some of the latest research he was involved in when he managed to bump into a lady, knocking her shopping all over the pavement. In the course of picking up her belongings he got into conversation with her and discovered that she had several pressing problems in her life which he felt he should try and solve. This involved numerous visits to various officials throughout Bristol for the rest of the day. What surprised me most was that the rest of the family did not appear to be unduly surprised by this behaviour. It was part of his normal behaviour!
Henry's love went far beyond just giving physical and monetary support to others. He felt driven to enable others to use the gifts that God had given them to the very fullest. When God created Henry and gave him his lifetime gifts he was taking quite a risk to give so many wide-ranging gifts to one individual. He must have put a lot of trust in Henry and He wasn't let down. Henry used all his gifts to the very fullest and wanted others to do the same. If this meant he had to be critical about someone's behaviour in order to help them, then he would do it in the wisest of ways such that the person being constructively criticised would listen and act upon his advice. I remember a simple story that Janet told me that obviously had a deep impression upon her. Her family were at a layby when they saw a man throwing litter out of his car whilst having lunch. Henry got out of his own car slowly, walked across to where the litter had been thrown, stooped down and methodically picked it up, walked across to the car, knocked on the window and when the driver had wound down his window Henry passed the litter through saying "I believe this is yours".
Henry might no longer be with us in body, but I know the legacy of his love is still with us. I look at my family and see the sacrificial love that they have acquired from Henry acted out in their lives. That sacrificial love will be carried on to their children, and then on to their children, and so on. And all of those people throughout the world who have been influenced by Henry’s love will influence others who will influence others so that Henry's sacrificial love can be said to be continuing to ripple throughout the world for ever and ever. Amen