PASTORAL REFLECTIONS
By James Lamkin
"Anonymous Saints"
A dusty book sits nearby. The author, A.C Kruer, titled it,
They Also Speak. It has been out of print for a pile of years, I'm sure; but the notion still is fresh. It is noted in the book's subtitle:
How Anonymous Personalities of the Bible Figured in God's Plan.
I wish I had said that. Think of all the high-profile people in the Bible that get pages and pages of copy space: Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, Mary, Paul, Peter. Their names call for so much attention, that they eclipse other lower-profiled, yet seminal actors in the divine drama.
THese small people have large walk-on cameos onto the stage of scripture; but they exit stage-left mysteriously and unknown.
A sampler of these anonymous saints includes: the one-out-of-ten-guy who came back to thank Jesus for his healing, the Gentile mother's assertive faith that demanded Jesus' attention because of her daughter's needs, the mighty widow with her mite that is the front page of every stewardship campaign, and the Ethiopian eunuch who came-out of his closet of exclusion and dove into God's inclusive pool of grace.
All of them left their fingerprints on the pages of the Bible; all of their stories challenge, leverage, console, or confront our faith; and all of ID's are unknown.
Bet you can guess where I'm headed. Much of a pastor's life is tracking the trail of anonymous saints. Your footprints are not only in the sand, they are beside the hospital bed, the rehab center, the wedding altar rail, the church parking lot, and a hot summer's kitchen where funeral food is cooked with love-baked-right-in (and we all know that a chicken salad casserole will bring more balm to the soul than 1000 sermons).
I've been at this---the pastoring business---long enough to recognize your footprints. I know the ones who walk with dominant right-wing-tips. I know the ones that lean to the left. I can spot those steps that always trail tears.
I know these because I know you. You've allowed me near enough to hear your footfalls on the way to do good. I know a little of what you anonymous saints are up to; and I am grateful.
I think of John McIntyre's recent Memorial Service. John's death was a gut-punch to us all. A pall covered the week. Yet, I observed low-profile, highly invested Northside Drivers do their thing: from cooking to car parking to calling to caring to crying with Joan when there was nothing left to say.
But I have something to say: I saw many of you do good; and God saw all of you do good. And as God said of those creation days of long ago, "This is very, very good."
Two local photographers showcase Italy and the American West. Featuring Sandy Springs resident, Ledra Davis, and NDBC's very own Myrtie Cope. June 18-August 9, Monday-Thursday, 9 AM-5 PM and Sunday, 9 AM-2 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta Gallery.
