Sermons Preached: September 2005 Archives

I was on the elevator going up to extensive care, when my beeper buzzed. I looked at the number that had beeped me,
and went immediately to the emergency room. I announced myself as the chaplain on duty, and the nurse pointed at a door,

I asked, what is behind the door, be prepared, they taught me that in Boy Scouts, such a long time ago. She told me that a mother and father had brought a crib dead infant in and they were clinging to the infants body, holding on, could I speak to the them? convince them to give up the baby? The Attending asked but there was expectation in her tone, convincing the living to give up the dead this was a chaplain's job. Go do it.

We arrived at the Woolworth's
and the picket line was already in motion.
The demonstrators Black, White, young and old,
were singing songs I had never heard before,
shooting slogans about Freedom, 
holding signs accusing the five and dime chain of Jim Crow,
Segregation, Racism,  Bigotry,

It was 1958
and I had come to believe
that Segregation was very, very wrong
so very wrong that I must act.