“What are you looking at, Jack?”

“I’m trying to understand the spiritual responsiveness of the audience to the playlist we put together.”

It wasn’t what I was expecting, but as I pondered his words, they made sense. We were standing together at a U2 concert, on the floor, taking everything in. The majesty of the music, the greatness of the crowd, the feel in the air of anticipation mixed with satisfaction— and Jack Heaslip was looking over the arena, seeing what most of us could not see, attentive to something that most of us would never even imagine looking for.

That was my first introduction to a very good man, and over years I had several opportunities to see him again. Sometimes at a U2 concert, but then other times in other places. Not flashy, never interested in drawing attention to himself, but a deep man, someone with an unusually rich heart.

Read the article “RIP Jack Heaslip, the Gandalf to U2” on washingtoninst.org.