Civility Message
Growing up, in a love-strong but financially-fragile family, my mother had “good dishes.” My three sisters and I rotated the responsibility of washing dishes after each meal. During one of my times to do the dishes, my mother witnessed me carelessly carrying an armful of dishes from the table to the sink; she banned me from washing the good dishes. “Thank you Jesus!”
As an ordained United Methodist Church minister, when I speak at home or around the country, I am exceedingly particular about the language I use to express my support for, or opposition to, political or policy positions.
A sage preacher took the pulpit one Sunday morning to really lay it on his wayward congregation. His sermon was, in part, based on Ezekiel 38:20, “I will pour out torrential rain hailstones, fire and brimstone...” Flipping the pages of his Bible to the 13th chapter of Luke in the Christian Testament, “There will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.”
This Memorial Day I discovered, at long last, why incumbents sometimes hold an advantage over challengers. Following my keynote address at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, also known as the Liberty Memorial, I spoke with a number of the nice people who attended the program. Amongst those who took the time to respond to my speech, was a woman who shared a story with me.
This past week, the Greater Kanas City Chamber of Commerce made its way to Washington for its annual “D.C. Fly-In.” During the visit, 25 or so business leaders meet with Members of Congress to discuss matters important to the Kansas City area. They talked with each member of the Congressional delegation from our area, including those from the state of Kansas.
This message is influenced by the greatest theologians of our times, Lucy and Linus of Peanuts fame. Linus is contentedly watching TV when Lucy walks in and orders the changing of the channel. She backs up this demand by showing him her ferocious fist. “What makes you think you can walk in here and take over?” asks an infuriated Linus.
The most explosive running back I have ever seen in person was Berniece Mundean, my high school team mate. Under different circumstances, I believe that Mundean would have been an outstanding college running back and would have certainly ended up in the National Football League. He was just that good.
As a sophomore student at Texas A&M at Prairie View, I hung out mostly with guys from Dallas and Fort Worth. Perhaps it was because I lived in that area during the first seven years of my life, and most of the Cleaver Clan still lived there.
One day, the wind and the sun were sitting around casually gazing upon the goings on in the earth. A man caught their attention as he walked in an open area with a long and heavy coat.