This Sunday – March 20th, the third Sunday of Lent – is the 94th anniversary of the birth of Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers wrote, produced, and hosted Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for 33 years; an educational Public TV program focused on emotional, ethical, and relational training for preschool children. Fred was an ordained minister called to serve God by serving children through the medium of public television.
This weekend St Luke’s, (the church where I am pastoring part-time), will join the growing movement of faith communities across Canada and the USA as we incorporate Mr. Rogers Day in our Lenten observance. I invite you to throw on a cardigan as you engage your faith community in listening for the Spirit’s invitation to love God by loving your neighbor even as you love yourself.
Even if you have watched it in the past, I encourage you to view this video of Fred Rogers testifying before Congress in 1969:
Here are a just a few quotes from Mr. Rogers that offer a glimpse into why so many churches are emphasizing this day in a unique way:
- “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors–in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.” – Fred Rogers
- “Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.” – Fred Rogers
- “Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. Like all of life’s important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root very early in our lives.” – Fred Rogers
- “In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.” – Fred Rogers
- “It’s really easy to fall into the trap of believing that what we do is more important than what we are. Of course, it’s the opposite that’s true: What we are ultimately determines what we do!” – Fred Rogers
- “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” – Fred Rogers
Following the way of Jesus dares us to discover a way of loving our neighbors… those right around us. Not just our families, not just our friends, not just people who agree with us, not even just those we like, Jesus invites us to discover a way of love with those we encounter in the everyday stuff of life… our neighbors. Jesus was once asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Fred Rogers might ask you, “Who is your neighbor?” Who is inviting you to discover a way of love?
Peace, dwight
