Clever Mediations--Part 2
My sister Linda reminded me last night of a story we both heard at Sunnyside last fall when we attended church there the day before my Uncle Henry's funeral in Iowa. The minister who preached was from Fairview, a neighboring church.
He told the story of a conflictive time in their church life when there was disagreement over whether their church building should be added onto or replaced entirely. Feelings were pretty strong on both sides--so much so that after church, people tended to visit in groups made up only of people who agreed with them.
In this congregation was a non-verbal person who had Down Syndrome. One Sunday after church, this young man went to someone in one of the groups and took him by the hand. Then he walked to the other group and took another person by the hand. He put the hands of the two other men together so they would shake hands. Then he repeated the process with two more people. He kept this up for some time.
It was the only time he ever did that. And after that, people began to be able to hear each other and work through to a united position.
He told the story of a conflictive time in their church life when there was disagreement over whether their church building should be added onto or replaced entirely. Feelings were pretty strong on both sides--so much so that after church, people tended to visit in groups made up only of people who agreed with them.
In this congregation was a non-verbal person who had Down Syndrome. One Sunday after church, this young man went to someone in one of the groups and took him by the hand. Then he walked to the other group and took another person by the hand. He put the hands of the two other men together so they would shake hands. Then he repeated the process with two more people. He kept this up for some time.
It was the only time he ever did that. And after that, people began to be able to hear each other and work through to a united position.
posted by Mrs. I at
4:05 PM
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