I opened my basement doors for Steve to back in his truck who was going to install a water conditioner for our home. After he opened his van, he turned and asked if he could ask me something about religion. On his way to our farm, he got a call from his wife that a neighbor had died last night. This neighbor was Ariel, a member of his church where Steve was a deacon.
Ariel was Steve’s spiritual mentor. Ariel taught by example. He worked hard on his farm, raised his crops and animals and took care of his family. Ariel had his share of farming accidents and lost the use of his shoulders. He struggled with the daily chores but got by for you see farmers are a stubborn and a proud bred of people. Stubborn yes, but generous to family and friends and fiercely faithful to their religion.
Ariel was Dutch Reform who practiced his faith by coming to church every Sunday, saying his prayers to himself, tithing according to the good book and working hard on the farm. He was not outgoing and he did not join any committees.
Steve grew found of Ariel and started coming over to visit. He noticed that Ariel was physically hurting so he took some cords of wood from his tree farm, and brought them as a gift. One tradition Ariel practiced was high tea; Steve was invited to this time honored tradition when Ariel took a break to enjoy some Earl Gray and sandwiches in the afternoon. It was at these special moments that Steve noticed another side of this hard working farmer and witnessed a faith he grew to love and admire.
Steve understood that Ariel was not comfortable in his old church that had a change of heart. He just wanted to come sit in his pew and be quiet with the Lord and go back and tend to his fields. Steve was an experienced Navy veteran who for over 20 years was use to living in chaos. Their church wanted to be a community that love one another and cared for one another. This concept made farmers like Ariel uncomfortable who were use to being independent and taking care of themselves. Yet, this morning Steve wanted someone to listen to his story about a friend and fellow parishioner who had gone to heaven but would be greatly missed by his spiritual apprentice.
I asked Steve if being a deacon in his country church was different than when he serving on board ship in the Navy. ‘Oh, yes!’ he said emphatically. ‘In the Navy if I said to my fellow shipmates, “We are all shipmates of one another on this boat,” they would just nod their heads in agreement as if to say that everyone, even the most simple, understands that. But when I say that same sentence to people who live on the farm, they look at me as though I am proposing some crazy theory.
Steve noted that a characteristic on the farm is that dogma of individualism which makes it almost impossible for people to realize that we are members one of another, that we are meant to live in community, that our need for another is not a weakness but a divine gift. To live in community whether on board a ship, or in a country church or at home with your family can stretch our limits. Love is a decision.
Immanuel prays for us as we reflect; “But with you is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” (Psalm 130:4).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that you help us all feed the hunger to be more generous with our time and be present to those in need of our comfort, our forgiveness and our compassion.
