Kaleidoscope Joe

I met Jim Curtis at a church picnic in Iowa. When I saw his Veterans lapel pin I asked him about his service. He told a wonderful, awesome tale of his exploits in the U.S. 3rd Army as it pushed its way across Europe during WWII, He described the horrors of the war, and the persistent victory of which he was so very proud to have participated. He regaled me with comic remembrances of wartime antics, and touched me with heartfelt tributes to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. But the most impressive story he shared with me that day took place after the war. I have tried to recreate it from a notoriously faulty memory.
“Right after the war ended in Europe, I was with the 3rd Army in Germany. We had a lot more time on our hands with the fighting ended, and it was easier to get a pass for a three day leave. So me and my two buddies Al Whiting and Bob Devers, we had all come through the whole thing unscathed, decided to put in for a three day pass. Well, we got the pass and decided we would take a train to Frankfort. A couple of the other guys in the outfit had been there and said there were some parts of the city that had missed any kind of bombing or fighting and looked very much the same as it must have in the 1600s. So we decided that would be a good place to see. When we got there, we headed to a town square, or platz, as it was called there. When we got to the platz, I saw him there.”

He was seated on the edge of a fountain in the middle of the square when we approached; he was peering into a tube. My buddies split off to check out a beer garden; I told them I would catch up to them in a few. I walked up to him and said, “Hey Mac, whatcha got there a telescope?” He continued to stare into the device and replied, “No Sir, in his thick German accent. It’s a kaleidoscope, and with that, he held it out in my direction. I took it from him and took a peek. I saw patterns and colors all seeming to tumble together in a magical pattern as I twisted the tube the same way I had observed him doing moments before. As I watched the little spectacle unfold inside the tube, the stranger said, “and it imitates the life of a man.” I lowered the tube and looked at the stranger; I was pondering his words, and had formulated my question.

I held out my hand, “Jim Curtis,” I said, “Corporal in the U.S. 3rd Army, we're just out sightseeing.” “Yes”, He replied, as he shook my hand, “Germany was beautiful before the war. Joseph Knapp is my name, recently a conscript in the German 10th army. There are still a few places, like this, where you can come and imagine how it was before it was destroyed.” “How does it do that?” I Asked. “How does this… scope imitate the life of a man?” He took a long puff on the pipe he had gripped in his teeth, and as the smoke ran out, he began to speak.
“You see my friend, all of us, every one, has a life that is very much like the kaleidoscope, filled with little pieces and fragments. Some are pleasant, some are not, some are smooth and shiny, others are dark and ragged, and still others are quite nondescript. They are made up of the memories and experiences we have had, as well as the things we believe and the things that we know by faith. But you see also, we have three mirrors, just like the kaleidoscope, only our mirrors are the heart, the soul, and the mind of man.” “Hold on a minute,” I said, “I thought they were all the same thing, the heart, the soul, and the mind” “Oh no,” He responded, "they are each distinctly different entities. The heart of a man refers to his disposition, his orientation toward life, toward God, and toward his fellow man. The soul of a man is the seat of spiritual reality; it is the repository of God’s existence and of His truth. It is man’s soul that connects with God. Even when the heart has rejected Him, the soul is still able to connect to Him. And the mind of man is the place where memories rest, and new things are viewed. It is that which processes our experience, and which interprets our world. The three together reflect all of our memories and experiences, just like the three mirrors in the kaleidoscope. If our heart and soul are right, and our mind is sound, then we see beauty, even through despair, we feel joy, even when persecuted. If any of these mirrors are corrupt, well, that diminishes or disrupts the image. When I was young, I saw much beauty in almost everything I beheld, and now, almost everywhere I look I see misery and destruction. It is only through this human kaleidoscope, where my faith allows God to fix my heart and guide my thoughts that I find the peace and joy necessary to push on, and to look for the happiness I know will return in time, In His time. And then he extended his hand, placed it on the kaleidoscope in my own and pushed it slightly toward me saying, “Here, you keep this, a gift to remind you of me, and of God’s power and love.”
“I took the present, and thanked him for his kindness. I tried to pay him for it, and even offered to trade my watch, but he refused; he said a gift could not be traded for. We shook hands once more, and I wished him good luck and went to find my buddies. They asked me who I was talking to back at the fountain. “Oh, him?” I said, “That was Kaleidoscope Joe.” Then I showed them my new gift. They looked at the kaleidoscope, and laughed at the name I had given my new acquaintance, but I meant it in the kindest, even the fondest way. And that’s how I’ve thought of him ever since, as Kaleidoscope Joe. In some sense, I got what Joe was saying, and it stuck with me. It stayed with me when I returned to the states. It kept popping back into my thoughts as I struggled to cope with the horrors of the war, and the unfamiliar feeling of peace. And it was in my mind when I finally turned my heart over to God, and found Jesus. And except for my precious Lord, the meeting of Joe at the fountain in Frankfort is, to this day, the brightest bit in my human kaleidoscope. Oh, I know, I married the love of my life, we had four glorious children together, hey, I even had the most wonderful in-laws a guy could hope to have, but if it wasn’t for Joseph Knapp and that meeting by the fountain, I don’t think I would be the same man I am today. I’m not sure if I would even be alive.
I meant to go back to that town, to see if I could find him again, and maybe talk some more. I had it in my mind that I was going to run into him and buy him lunch, at some place he would recommend, and we would have a great visit, and then leave as good friends. But orders came through and we were relocated to await transport home, so I never did get to go back. I thought of Kaleidoscope Joe from time to time, and wondered how he made out, but I never did see him again.