Traveling to Shreveport, Louisiana (and a bit of Washington State)

This Sunday in worship, we will be traveling to Shreveport Louisiana.  I am excited to tell you about a woman I met there by the name of Donnie Brook.  Donnie has led an amazing, indeed heroic life but you would never know it at first glance. 

Donnie is a reminder that many people around us have phenomenal stories. There is always more to those around us. 

Though I am getting ahead of myself, I was reminded of this when I was in Bellingham Washington in my travels.  While there, I stopped in to see my wife Lynn's sister and her husband Rand.  As I was visiting with him in his living room, I told him about my travels, and about listening to people's stories all around the country.  He then handed me a big thick green binder, and told me that this was his story.  In fact, it was his recently completed manuscript of a book he was writing.  Rand is a Professor of History at Western Washington University in Washtington state and had just completed this draft of his account of what it was like to grow up in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama, in the thick of the battles.  His father was an American Baptist Pastor and served as one of the leaders in conjunction with Dr. Martin Luther King and others.  As a result, Rand had a very hard childhood. He was ostracized in schools and churches again and again because of what his father did.  For the rest of the journey, I read his 500 page manuscript, understanding for the first time what it was like to grow up in the extreme racism of Birmingham Alabama in 1962.  At the end of every chapter, I would simply close the book and say to myself, "I have known Rand for 30 years and I never had any idea..."

Everybody has a story and they are typically more powerful than we think.  They are also not as well known to others around us. 

Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  As such, he reminds us that our faith is not just for our own private enjoyment.  Ultimately, it is there to send us out as salt and light.  This weekend, we are going to talk about how critical it is to learn to share our stories and our faith in a more public environment.  To be sure, many have done that poorly before us, but that doesn't change who we are.  It is important that we learn to share our stories in a way that encourages others.  Let's talk more about this as we go to Shreveport Louisiana on Sunday!  See you in worship,

In Christ,
Pastor Pete
I found myself thanking God for Rand and for his willingness to tell his story.  I found spiritual power and encouragement.