I had the pleasure to meet Lucas on the summer of 2022 on Taizé, France. What I first noticed of him was his stare. He had this calm, peaceful, almost angelic way of staring at people, like he could see your bare soul from just a glance. I also remember how in one of our first conversations I had this urge of telling him how beautiful I felt his aura was, he was able to transmite so much peace in just the way he expressed and phrased things, it almost seemed like poetry was being read to you. From the moment you met Lucas, you already knew what a kind soul he was. Lucas stayed in Taizé for one week but did the Silence weekend. I remember not being able to understand how after so much social interaction and stimuli he was able to go in silence for 3 days. But Lucas was definitely not an ordinary, standard person. Lucas was a passionate philosopher, a loyal friend, a kind soul and so much many more things which I didn't get to discover, yet. I can recall how the last days of Taizé I was struggling to understand why goodbyes existed. Why we got the chance to experience the greatest and most pure love from beautiful people who we will then would ultimately have to say goodbye at some moment and perhaps never see again. Lucas comforted and told me in a very wise way that "good moments exist and have an important meaning to what we are. They shall be cherished, enjoyed and relished as they are not exclusively part of the past if not also of the present. The person who became is a build-up of those good moments, those memories, and to be able to remember them is a human virtue, because it reminds us of who we are. They are not just past memories, they are part of the present we live, in every life activities an interactions."
It took me some time but I now understand what Lucas meant with this, and am grateful I got to meet him in that week because the conversations I had with him will always be part of my present. Meeting Lucas was a gift from God and one which I will always remember.
Willem, Petra and Tara, my heart goes out to you and to everyone who loved him (which were a lot because he was a very loveable and loving person). You are in my thoughts and prayers.
I now leave some videos I took of him while talking about his favourite topic and true passion, philosophy and spirituality.
All my love and respects.
Tesa.