eternal rest grant, O Lord

I heard news today that Dr. Kosuke Koyama died yesterday at the age of 79. Ko, as he was affectionately known, spent a few years teaching at Luther and I had the privilege to take Buddhism and Christianity with him in the Spring of 2004.

He was a gentle giant, a deep saint, a kind soul.

You can read his obituary at the New York Times, here. This comes at the end of it:

Once, in discussing death, Dr. Kosuke Koyama recalled the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. He said Jesus would be with others the same way: “Looking into our eyes and heart, Jesus will say: ‘You’ve had a difficult journey. You must be tired, and dirty. Let me wash your feet. The banquet’s ready.’"