We at City Light News,
including former publishers Peter and Doris Fleck, are grieving the
untimely passing of colleague, mentor and dear friend, Gordon Legge.
His support for and involvement in CLN at a significant point in its
history was crucial.
I first met Gord in the
early ’90s when he was religion editor at the Calgary Herald. The
evangelical world was going through its "March for Jesus" phase and
several Calgary churches sponsored such a march through the community of
Ranchlands one Saturday in June of that year. The event concluded with a
time of prayer and worship at the local community centre grounds.
Gord interviewed me following the festivities and we had a stimulating
conversation covering a wide range of issues. I shared some questions I
had reconciling the event with the words of Jesus in Matthew 6
cautioning us about praying on the street corners "to be seen by men."
We discussed the wisdom of publicizing Jesus via precisely the same
medium the gay-rights crowd used last week to call attention to its
cause or that employed the week before by the local sports team to
celebrate winning the cup.
We agreed that much of that conversation was off the record but it was
the beginning of a professional relationship that, in time, became a
personal friendship. Gord, as one of the best religion writers in
Canada, was a master of his craft and I came to value the opportunities
he gave me to articulate my views clearly and concisely.
Part of what made Gord such a competent journalist were his own deep
Christian convictions that I saw surface in a number of ways. I remember
an occasion when he, Irving Hexham and myself were solving the world’s
problems over coffee at the university. Apparently, it was "safe sex"
week on campus, for it wasn’t long before a student approached us
offering "free" condoms. Gord seized the moment to point out that we
were happily married men who didn’t need such paraphernalia for the
purposes it was being offered, thank you very much. One of the derelicts
in our group, Dr. Hexham – if memory serves me falsely, advised Gord to
"speak for yourself."
At some point during those years I first heard Gord articulate his
dreams of establishing an organization that would offer media personnel
a better knowledge of people and matters of faith. At his urging, I
attended a seminal conference on the topic held at Carleton University
in June 1998. Mt. Royal College’s Centre for Faith and Media, launched
this past December, serves today as a legacy to the vision and diligence
of Gord Legge in promoting understanding between people of faith and
people who work in media.
When I entered a stage in my life that was an emotional and spiritual
coal mine, Gord was a confidant and counsellor. He was a safe place for
me to vent and his perspective as someone appreciative of Catholic
mysticism was a balm to my soul. Although our theological backgrounds
were worlds apart, Gord always reflected a knowledge of God that deeply
moved and healed me.
During and after the strike at The Herald at the turn of the millennium,
I gained a keen respect for Gord’s understanding and commitment to
Catholic social policy as I listened to some of his hopes and hurts. His
passion for social justice as a foundational component of Christianity
will serve as an inspiration to me until the day I die.
With Gord’s passing, there is a distinct vacancy in my life.
On behalf of City Light News, I extend our deepest sympathies to
Laurie, Gord’s wife, and his son, Brendan. Thanks for sharing such
a remarkable, Godly man with us.
