I wanted to put in writing some of the lessons I learned from David McCahon during the years that I knew him. He was a wonderful friend and there was a bond between us which is as strong as ever today. I will miss him greatly, but I am filled with gratitude and humility for the love, support and time that he gave.
Given below are my best recollections of some quotes from him. I obviously didn’t have a tape recorder, so a portion of the wording is guesswork. But not all. I have added my own commentary in an effort to provide some context, although in truth most of the quotes stand on their own.
“At our best, we never see more than 85% of the truth.”” Or was it “…the whole truth 85% of the time…?” Whatever, it was a warning not to be overly dogmatic about anything.
“This Sunday School class [Ministry of the Holy Spirit: 1976-80], like a person, has a life cycle. There’s a time to be born, a time to flourish, and a time to die. I don’t want to keep the class going a moment beyond the time it should die.” Said while the class was at its peak: he was already preparing for its demise. He didn’t want us to be dependent on anything or anybody but Christ. One memory from that class was his study on the use of the words for power (“dunamis” and “exousia”) in the New Testament. He was especially fond of dunamis.
“There may be more authentic spirituality in a little urban storefront church than we find here at Park Street Church.” He sometimes speculated as to how many really knew Christ.
“In any group, there is only a remnant who really get it.” Sometimes I wondered if this was a re-statement of the scripture that says, “On that day, many will say unto me ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we…’ ”
“A true follower of Christ has a sweet smelling savor about him.” If you asked David whether he thought such and such a person was a believer, David would instruct you to “use your sense of smell.”
“You can’t judge others, but you can be a fruit inspector.” This was not original with David, but it was another way of saying, “Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord…but he who does the will of my Father.” Part of that will is possessing the fruits of the Spirit.
“In any criticism, there is a kernel of truth. Take that truth, and discard the rest.” Hard to do, David.
“Truth is wherever you find it.” Implying that it is sometimes found even in heretical sources: “Have you received your gnosis?” was his way, I think, of asking the Biblical question: “Have you received [the Holy Spirit] since you believed?”
“There are some people who are so open [i.e., to David, to God] they unzip themselves from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet.” David flourished with people who were open-minded and transparent to others.
“I prefer being inclusive, rather than exclusive.” David was one of the least judgmental people I knew, and didn’t like to draw lines in the sand.
“When witnessing to someone, I try to incarnate myself into them.” As opposed to “beating them around the head with a Bible.”
“To be a truly effective witness, you need to know enough about the other person’s point of view that you are actually tempted by it.” He was a risk-taker, for the cause of Christ.
“There’s form and there’s substance: some people are mostly into form. The ultimate in substance is the Christ.” David was a “substance” person.
“The important thing is to know the Christ. Everything else is detail.” In other words, don’t get hung up on non-essentials.
“We need to be following hard after Christ.” He encouraged us to read Tozer.
“Deep calls unto deep.” When we come into contact with another person who has been similarly touched to the depth by the Spirit of God, there is an instantaneous recognition: the Christ in one, in perfect communion with the Christ in the other.
“There is a truth which is beyond words, which cannot be expressed in words. There is a truth even beyond the words of the Bible.” Only one who has the gift of speaking in unknown tongues fully understands this, I think.
“When talking about matters of the heart and spirituality with anyone (including non-Christian), at the point when we become one, it is in Christ. At this point of introduction, the other person realizes: ‘Of course, of course…that’s who He is!’ ” He had this wonderful anecdote about an extensive conversation with a Muslim on a very long flight overseas, where at some point the Muslim’s eyes were opened, and he recognized the Christ from his own context.
“The Holy Spirit is very shy. He is delicate — easily offended. He will quietly back out when we choose other than Him.” How often have we all grieved Him?
“When you can’t be a good Christian, at least be a good Jew.” We are not always “good” Christians, that’s for sure.
“We all have spent some time in the pig-pen.” “I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15.
“Henri Nouwen was a better evangelical than most evangelicals.” David’s introduction of Nouwen was a wonderful gift to me. It was a great privilege to hear him speak in person several times while he was at Harvard. And his books have been incredibly edifying.
“To love another person is to be totally objective about him.” “On that day, we will know even as we are known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
“There’s a time [in one’s life] to be narrow, and a time to be broad.” Perhaps autobiographical: a time for Navigators, and a time for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
David listened very well when in a one-on-one setting. He would say, “I know…I know.” But when it came time for his next expression, it was usually, “But Dick, don’t you see…”, and he would give you another perspective, perhaps a dimension he sensed you were missing.
I remember on many occasions I felt the need to get advice from David. We would go out to lunch, and I would spell out the situation. I frankly never remember him giving me the advice I was seeking. Rather, he would choose to help me think out the situation, and provide me with new perspectives: basically equipping me to form my own answers.
He had a difficult time with people who were narrow in outlook, and especially so when it was accompanied with a spirit of legalism. He was one of those people who could be in a group situation and understand the spiritual dynamics that were taking place. And he was a mentor to many, both at Park Street Church, and beyond; to the person of high position and to the humble one.
One of our early exercises was reading Brothers Karamazov at the same time, and then over lunch discussing recently read chapters. We longed to be patterned after Alyosha, but we saw elements of Dmitri and Ivan, and sometimes even Smerdykov in ourselves.
At Park Street Church, it seemed to me that he was anointed by God to provide a seamless integration into the life of the church of those who had charismatic experiences, so that at the end of this process the church was greatly blessed by the gifts of these people, and there was no division. Part of the secret of this, I believe, was the fact that he had become thoroughly grounded in scripture during his Navigator’s experience in the 50’s, so that when he was profoundly touched by God’s Spirit in the 60’s, the experiences that followed were totally informed by the Word of God.
There is no human being in my life who has had a greater impact for good than David McCahon.
David’s influence was so widespread, it would seem a shame to lose the substance of what he perceived and expressed. Hopefully, those who were profoundly impacted by him will be able to share in written form some of what they received, to the end that a kind of mosaic of personalized truth might be assembled. But even if not, God has used this truly remarkable man to touch many, and we who have been so blessed have already received what we need to continue what he so masterfully began, if not in form, surely in substance. Amen.
Dick Mann, Quincy, MA
In Loving Memory
David McCahon
1923 – 1999