David Bos – In Memoriam

By Lisa Larges –

David Bos, a Presbyterian Minister, friend and ally who died this past week was a man with the soul of a poet and the heart of a prophet. The two flowed together in a kind of serene loveliness – David, as I knew him, was gracious and easy, thoughtful in what he did and even more so in what he said. That serene gentle manner might suggest a placidity. But David Bos was anything but. He worked tirelessly – with a ferocity, a passion, and a determination that never let up.

And the heart of his determination, the source of his unstinting dedication was the struggle for the rights and full human dignity of the most vulnerable in our society, especially the urban poor.

Not long ago, David came down with a bad cold. The cold turned to pneumonia, and David went in to the hospital. In the week before his death, I imagine that he received the best healthcare available. His family was involved in his care and in making decisions in consultation with his doctors. He died with those he loved most beside him.

And what David Bos was working on — right up until he went in to the hospital, and, I wouldn’t doubt, even from his hospital bed — was the campaign to guarantee all Americans equal and full access to healthcare.

Whatever the gains of the recent healthcare reform, itself under threat, it falls short of making sure that everyone in our country has access to care that is comprehensive and affordable. We owe it to David to take up that work.

Here’s a link to a summary of what the Presbyterian Church is doing to promote quality healthcare for all.