Mailbox Stuffing--Part 2
I loved my dad's diplomatic way of referring to the writer of the material we found in our church mailboxes:
He described him as having "a strong corrective inclination." (Disclaimer: I can never remember that last word for sure--bent, motivation, tendency, impulse, etc.)
Dad (who read the paper, with some idea, but no certain knowledge, of who had placed it in the mailboxes) went on to say that he wasn't sure that there was anything new there. He assumed it was common knowledge that the person in question could not be expected to be promoting distinctive Anabaptist values.
Dad also had fielded at least one phone call from someone he didn't know,in another state--who had apparently been alerted by a different local person to our leadership's need for--enlightenment--I guess--because of a perceived less-than-ideal handling of a local situation.
To my dad's credit, he avoided "naming names" for most of the people involved, affirmed that the church should be the first caregiving resource when needs arise, recognized the need to reach beyond our local resources when further help is needed, and reiterated the need to be discerning about who we look to for help--all this with no casting of negative reflections on anyone's previous efforts to help--quite a feat, actually. Most of what he said was in answer to my questions. I did not ask him, however, for names to go with any information he shared. The conversation with dad took place after the previous blog post.
After the mailbox stuffers identity was known, someone asked me if I planned to change anything on my previous post.
"No," I said. "Everything I said is still true."
There was, however, one detail I did not refer to quite accurately. When I wrote that there was accusation in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it would have been accurate to say instead that there was (from the non-local writer) insistence on the need for action on a matter that had already, decades ago, been repented of, dealt with, and forsaken.
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The person who placed the material in the mailboxes was apparently clueless about the proper protocol and had no intention to hide his identity. He had someone else read a statement for him in church on Wed. and then spoke a few words himself. As I said, before I knew who had done this, it would have made a huge difference for me in feeling open to reading the material if I had known who in our church identified with it. It was, indeed, someone I appreciate and care about.
The minister who read the statement from the "distributor" reiterated the need for proper identification and communication with others in positions of responsibility before undertaking such projects in the future.
Maybe this will take care of things for another generation or so.
***********************
Why do I write all this local stuff for this blog's reading audience? I'm sure that not everyone thinks this is a great idea, but I hope that it accomplishes several things that are important to me. The all-around purposes of this blog apply here--pinning down memories and information, processing while writing, revealing something of what I value, speaking truth always, provoking others productively, and having some good times in the process. If people find something offensive at times, I hope they also find something affirming at other times.
On the subject of this post, I'm happy to affirm and pass on my dad's wisdom. I hope it helps local people process what they're experiencing. I hope it gives non-local people a chance to think through their own ideas, actions, and loyalties in similar situations. I hope it helps us remember that all our actions are open to examination and that we are always accountable to others. While I have refrained from attaching names to what I've described, I know that those who are directly involved probably already know them, and the rest of the world may not need to know. Anyone who wants to know more than I've said is certainly welcome to ask. I will try to reply with as much discernment as my dad demonstrated.
He described him as having "a strong corrective inclination." (Disclaimer: I can never remember that last word for sure--bent, motivation, tendency, impulse, etc.)
Dad (who read the paper, with some idea, but no certain knowledge, of who had placed it in the mailboxes) went on to say that he wasn't sure that there was anything new there. He assumed it was common knowledge that the person in question could not be expected to be promoting distinctive Anabaptist values.
Dad also had fielded at least one phone call from someone he didn't know,in another state--who had apparently been alerted by a different local person to our leadership's need for--enlightenment--I guess--because of a perceived less-than-ideal handling of a local situation.
To my dad's credit, he avoided "naming names" for most of the people involved, affirmed that the church should be the first caregiving resource when needs arise, recognized the need to reach beyond our local resources when further help is needed, and reiterated the need to be discerning about who we look to for help--all this with no casting of negative reflections on anyone's previous efforts to help--quite a feat, actually. Most of what he said was in answer to my questions. I did not ask him, however, for names to go with any information he shared. The conversation with dad took place after the previous blog post.
After the mailbox stuffers identity was known, someone asked me if I planned to change anything on my previous post.
"No," I said. "Everything I said is still true."
There was, however, one detail I did not refer to quite accurately. When I wrote that there was accusation in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it would have been accurate to say instead that there was (from the non-local writer) insistence on the need for action on a matter that had already, decades ago, been repented of, dealt with, and forsaken.
************************
The person who placed the material in the mailboxes was apparently clueless about the proper protocol and had no intention to hide his identity. He had someone else read a statement for him in church on Wed. and then spoke a few words himself. As I said, before I knew who had done this, it would have made a huge difference for me in feeling open to reading the material if I had known who in our church identified with it. It was, indeed, someone I appreciate and care about.
The minister who read the statement from the "distributor" reiterated the need for proper identification and communication with others in positions of responsibility before undertaking such projects in the future.
Maybe this will take care of things for another generation or so.
***********************
Why do I write all this local stuff for this blog's reading audience? I'm sure that not everyone thinks this is a great idea, but I hope that it accomplishes several things that are important to me. The all-around purposes of this blog apply here--pinning down memories and information, processing while writing, revealing something of what I value, speaking truth always, provoking others productively, and having some good times in the process. If people find something offensive at times, I hope they also find something affirming at other times.
On the subject of this post, I'm happy to affirm and pass on my dad's wisdom. I hope it helps local people process what they're experiencing. I hope it gives non-local people a chance to think through their own ideas, actions, and loyalties in similar situations. I hope it helps us remember that all our actions are open to examination and that we are always accountable to others. While I have refrained from attaching names to what I've described, I know that those who are directly involved probably already know them, and the rest of the world may not need to know. Anyone who wants to know more than I've said is certainly welcome to ask. I will try to reply with as much discernment as my dad demonstrated.
posted by Mrs. I (Miriam Iwashige) at
5:51 AM
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