But Ben is a beautiful human being. He is the friendliest guy you'll ever meet. His smile is amazing. His empathy is deep. His ability to remember you is nearly unmatched. He sees you as a friend, instantly and forever. He is a lover of people.
I am so proud of Ben: all he has accomplished in his 22 years, the hearts he has softened, what he has learned, how he has grown, the dreams he has for his life.
As I've scrolled through headlines today, I have been struck by a pretty simple question: How do the parents of our current political leaders see their children, these white men in power, making decisions to further disenfranchise the poor, to obscure the rights of so many people, to dictate life choices for women and LGBTQ friends, to recklessly destroy our environment, to pursue wealth at the expense of others, to threaten our world through state-sanctioned bullying, and to disregard the health needs of millions of Americans.
If these were my sons, I would be weeping.
As a father I am humbled to have an eldest son (and two other kids as well) that understands the most important aspects of life: to love, to share, to look out for one another, to smile, to remember, to befriend, to care.
I would be weeping; but when I see my child, all I can do is smile.
Jonathan, your words are inspiring. I can tell you, as a lifelong friend, Brethren, family member and conscientious member of society, that this period of our history is what we were trained for. When our parents lived through and dealt with the trials and tribulations of the Sixties--when the world must have seemed to be coming apart--they relied on the teachings of the Brethren, the Mennonites and the Anabaptists to actively work toward a better future for their kids. The stories of Ted Studebaker, the music of Ken Medema, the songs of Andy Murray...they were all preparing us for our responsibilities as adults. Well, here we are. And now, it's up to us to keep that torch lit, no? I find myself pulling from every lesson taught, every summer at Camp Eder and Swatara, every Childrens' Story on Sunday morning, every Small Group that we spied on as kids, every church picnic and every Saturday evening at your house in Lancaster...I draw on every passive moment and find comfort and direction in them to forge our collective future in the face of this cataclysmic present. I know you feel the same and I look forward to more from you...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and encouragement. I wish I knew who you are.
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ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan, I appreciated this blog. And I think your identifying the need for confession is exactly what is needed. The "we're right and others are wrong" mentality (and spirituality!) exists in so many spheres and on so many levels. And despite the emphasis of us Brethren on peacemaking and conflict resolution, we are very poor with confession. Even when confession is experienced in the church or in liturgy, it seems to be so in a very limited way. Again, thanks for your reflections/analysis. It gives me words to attach to the troubling divisiveness and need for healing and unity in the COB. -Sam Spire
ReplyDeleteHi Sam. Thanks for your comment, and for reading. The division in our world (and church) is overwhelming. I truly believe it will take an act of God to turn us around. And I believe that God is intent on doing just that.
DeleteBy the way, my comments were supposed to have been in response to your Heart Holes blog June 26.... somehow I guess I found the wrong place to comment :) -Sam
DeleteKinda wondered! Thanks for clarifying, Sam!
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