Blog 1993 – 03.10.2021

She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain

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She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain

With what wondrous anticipation is the return of a loved one and this children’s song completely captures it. I watched again the wonderful movie, A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood, yesterday and was again in tears at the words of children entertainer Fred Rogers as he explained his motivation to a reporter interviewing him, that he just wanted to help children to be able to express their emotions without hurting themselves or others. Over the weekend I had watched a movie that I have long thought I would like to but never had until then, Gandhi. Gandhi and Fred Rogers both were spiritual giants, but then the same “God spark” that dwelt in them dwells in each of us. We have only to fan it into a flame that will not only warm our own hearts but draw people to us in droves to warm by our fire. This ought to be our deepest desire, hobby, and full time job – shining our inner light and warming our neighborhood and world. This is global warming that we all can believe in and support.

Hate, war, and revenge, never added one iota to anything or anyone other than pain, misery, and regret. As Ghandi said:

One of my early boyhood heroes, Jesus, taught love and truth and that real lasting change only comes through non-violence. The warmongers and war profiteers would have us believe otherwise. Real forgiveness of ourselves and others is the only cure for broken hearts and relationships, revenge and “getting even” only fan a different and destruct fire not the “God spark” within us but a hell like the American Civil War General, infamous for burning a sixty mile wide swath across the south from Atlanta to the sea, said:

“And yet I show you a more excellent way” is the conclusion of Paul, once called Saul, a reformed hater and revenge seeker.

It can be and indeed is a beautiful day in the neighborhood for lovers, not fighters. There is a story still making the rounds in some circles that Fred Rogers was a War Hero. He never fought in any war nor fired a shot in anger at anyone. His war as all true wars was with his own weak unforgiving heart and he through a thing far bigger than any petty thoughts of revenge and vendetta, Love, made a real difference in his neighborhood and in his world. Fred always took time to listen, and to see the goodness in everyone he met, especially that little child within us all that desperately needs to hear but three words, “I like you.” He was a true friend to anyone he ever met.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

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All We Let In