My Last Post Possibly Surprised You. It Did Me. The Saga Continues...

Of course, my generation has considerable identity with the Kennedy’s. I was not among the Hesston College students traveling to Lawrence to a Bobby Kennedy rally in April ’68 as I worked 3 nights a week and my schedule did not allow such capers. Neither had my faith tradition encouraged voting in elections and consequently, I think the first time I voted was in 1984 after we moved back to Baughman Township in Wayne Co OH in ’82. Voting was simply not a priority with me back then as I had not been in circles where I was encouraged to vote. Some of you can’t fathom that.

Ohio, over time, changed all that so since then, I’ve had a political filter attached to my abnormal life’s kaleidoscope. Having always lived briefly in communities with at least one Mennonite church, such as Hesston, Orrville, EMC Harrisonburg, UVA Charlottesville VA, Wakarusa-Goshen IN, Sterling IL, Sterling OH, & Stuarts Draft VA, before settling for 41 years in Dalton, I remained largely under the weekly influence of an anabaptist church. Only two locations did not have a Mennonite church in proximity, Moorhead MN and Seven Hills, a Cleveland suburb. Remember, we moved 7 times in 8 years before Dalton. I do believe my first ballot was cast in the antique Burton City Baughman township “shed” prior to the newer offices they now enjoy.

In addition to that trivia, as a child I grew up teething on church politics, but don’t underestimate their intensity. Not that I was all that interested in political elections while growing up among the west central MN Scandinavian extracts (Finland, Norway, Sweden) and Germans, being predominately Catholic, and the other half Lutheran, Baptists, and a few Methodists. Mennonites were off the scale scarce.

I realize now I’ve been politically naïve most of my life. Only in recent years since I began this blog am I attempting to seriously examine the issues that are dividing our nation. And I find yet I largely depend on a few of my politically savvy comrade anabaptist brothers from my college days for their insights whether it be in church or state current events supplemented by other worthy Christian news sources whom Loretta has followed for the past decade or longer.

Consequently, I refrain from offering any of my whimsical personal political insights. If I quote someone, I prefer printing their words verbatim so you get it straight from them. No editorializing. For example, I printed Allan Cohen earlier, and now, Robert F Kennedy, Jr. I trust you possess the needed maturity to evaluate their philosophies of life, accomplishments, and qualifications. I have admired RFK Jr for his work in the Children’s Defense Fund, following him there for over six years. He is a man of unusual vision, unmatched integrity, principles beyond compare, and I wish him well on his journey of what I believe are overwhelming commitments.

In closing, here is a hymn we sang last evening at a hymn sing that quite accurately reflects my current perspective on LIFE; while Living In Faithful Evangelism; though perhaps the word “Servanthood” today is more Biblically accurate than evangelism. A profound song credited to an amazing man.

William Merrell Vories, (1880-1964) was an educator, architect, entrepreneur, Christian lay missionary, and founder of Omni mission. Born in KS, he later became a naturalized Japanese citizen. He was dismissed in 1908 from his first teaching position because his Bible classes had attracted too many recruits from the local Buddhist temples. Later as an architect, his business was credited with over 1600 buildings in Japan and Korea bearing his designs. No where did I see a connection to this hymn but since it is listed as a “missionary chant,” who knows? Perhaps he merely facilitated and sought no credit. You realize, anabaptists are not really into chants, unless perhaps, they are set to music, and especially so, if it’s four part harmony!

Let There Be Light, Lord God of Hosts.

Song #304

Verse One:

Let there be light, Lord God of hosts,

Let there be wisdom on the earth!

Let broad humanity have birth!

Let there be deeds instead of boasts.

Verse Two:

Within our passioned hearts instill

The calm that endeth strain and strife;

Make us thy ministers of LIFE;

Purge us from lusts that curse and kill!

Verse Three:

Give us the peace of vision clear

To see our brothers’ good our own,

To joy and suffer not a-lone:

The love that casteth out all fear!

Verse Four:

Let woe and waste of warfare cease,

That useful labor yet may build

Its homes with love and virtue filled!

God, give thy wayward children peace!