February 19thReading, Thinking, and Figuring Out
Reading, Thinking, and Figuring Out
“A presentation like that is what makes it easier for me to retire.” Those words are forever inscribed into my memory. It was springtime 1980, Rev Henry J. Gerbrandt, recently retired General Secretary of then Conference of Mennonites in Canada, came forward to share these encouraging words with this young pastor who had just braved a slightly controversial topic to a church full of delegates.
Now, forty-five years later and still in this same province, I recall the title of that presentation, “Evangelism and/or Christian Education,” definitely not an earth-shaking topic then and still not creating headlines! The occasion of this particular Menno Minute, however, is kind of earth-shaking, not because of the few words I am writing, but because of the occasion, date and time in history. Our neighbors just south of us have a problem; they have elected themselves an autocratic would-be-dictator President. Seems to me that this next generation of church leaders – and politicians - are being set up for a slightly greater challenge than what appeared before me back then.
I have always been a reader, this probably in character for this Old Colony eldest son back there who wanted to figure out many things (nesheah is the Low German word). So this morning I was reading again, not so much to gather news (no end of that since January 20, day one), but to meditate, pay attention along with brothers and sisters, fellow Christians and many other Americans reeling in shock at what they have just done to themselves.
I find the Americans’ material quite compelling, possibly best represented in Sojourners, an American Christian social action magazine which I have subscribed to forever, valuable info with a larger vantage than our Canadian Mennonite. Here are several quotes from latest edition, published next door to the US Capitol, Washington, DC. These are for us North Americans who have been living the good life for the last 50 or so years.
"[Donald] Trump is arriving at a time of great social distrust: There’s more distrust of the media, medical professionals, experts, politicians, community institutions, and membership groups. There are rifts among friends and family. Even our trust in … weather is diminished. Distrust fuels the flame of autocracy because it makes it easier to divide people." Daniel Hunter, 10 Ways To Stay Grounded During Trump’s Second Term, Sojourners Jan/Feb 2025
A second quote by same author, "On her bedroom wall, my mom had a copy of the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr wrote this during the rise of Nazi Germany. There are several alcoholics in my family as well as addicts in most churches, a prayer well known by many of us."
Many of our Mennonite forebears have been through the European, Prussian, Russian history. Now in this western hemisphere we still have indignations about WW2. Most of us arrived with colonialist agendas, privileged immigrants violating not only the Indigenous, but also the ‘colored help’ brought along by the shipload from Africa!
History may have some reminders for us. Firstly, its Anabaptism at 500 time, all beginning back in the 16th Century. Among the celebrations, I highly recommend a recent podcast series, Free Radicals, by our former pastor and budding historian, Will Loewen, The original Anabaptists, even alongside the deep convictions of peacemaking and adult believers’ baptism, were compromised by some inflated egos and sin, even as they sought to correct the Church and the Governments of their day.
And secondly, a recent lament which is still hindering our effectiveness as a denomination. The year 2002 marked the end of General Conference Mennonite Church and beginning of Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church U.S.A. Had that not happened our life and witness would be of a greater wholeness especially at a time North America would benefit from a continuing peace church not divided by a 49th parallel.