FIRST, SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:
On this Wednesday (April 8) from 5:00 pm until 6:00 pm, we’re going to hold our first-ever LOYOLA TOWN HALL ZOOM MEETING. That’s right and no, it’s not too good to be true! Our own meeting by Zoom! Topics? Whatever you’d like: How you’re coping, how you’re doing, how you’re keeping your faith alive, how you’re connecting, what would help you. And, of course, we’ll pray. Together. AT THE SAME TIME.
If you’re new to Zoom, please don’t worry. It’s entirely manageable. Even a child Fr. Dirk can do it! We’ll put instructions and links up on the website and send them out via Flocknote. ALL ARE WELCOME! Come Zoom with us!
So, moving on. Over the weekend I watched A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood (2019), starring Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers. You might give it a try, although if you’re like me you’ll be a tearful mess for much of it. Whether or not it turns on your waterworks I hope you’ll find it to be hopeful, encouraging, and just the thing in times of trouble.
Mind you, I didn’t grow up with Mr. Rogers. I was a Captain Kangaroo man: too young for Howdy Doody and too old for Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood or Sesame Street. Now please don’t get me wrong, and you’ll never hear me say anything against the Captain. After all, you haven’t lived until you’ve watched a cuddly creature sit in the Captain’s lap and nibble away at the carnation in his buttonhole. But as much as I loved the Captain – and Mr. Moose, and Bunny Rabbit – some Mr. Rogers would have helped.
Perhaps we could all use a dose of Mr. Rogers. Learning to deal with difficult emotions; feeling loved and accepted as you are; developing a practice of appreciation; cultivating kindness and empathy: These are essential life skills for any human being. But you can read about life skills in books. A big part of Mr. Rogers’ appeal was that he was utterly genuine. He wasn’t playing a character. Instead he was a man of character, as rock-solid in integrity as he was gentle in manner. Kindness, grit, backbone, and character. That’s the kind of guy I wanna to be when I grow up.
And a Christian. As you probably know, Fred Rogers was a Presbyterian minister and a man of prayer. He wasn’t preachy. Rather, he embodied his Christian faith in a way that had universal appeal. Which has me thinking that we might do well to have a few more Mr. Rogers Christians around, by which I mean people who preach the Gospel by embodying the Gospel. Maybe then there’d be less yelling, less pounding people over the head with doctrine, less pushing people away, and less heartbreak. And these days – especially these days – I’m all for less heartbreak. More love; less heartbreak.
On this Monday of Holy Week, let us rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, and persevere in prayer. Three cheers for Mr. Rogers, and know that you are loved.
