SPIRITUAL POSTING – March, 2019
A few weeks ago, Marge and I attended the funeral of a long-time friend of hers, Virginia “Ginna” Minasian Dalton, in Richmond, Virginia. She served as a pastor and counselor in a variety of ministries in the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church. She displayed a humble and efficient spirit, not one who was out to grab headlines. The members of Second Presbyterian Church who attended her service held there could not recall the last time so many people were in their sanctuary. It was a testament to Ginna’s work and the value attached to it. One need not be flashy to inspire gratitude and appreciation.
In accordance with Ginna’s wishes (and in keeping with her Armenian heritage), stickers showing a forget-me-not flower were passed out at the reception to remind those present of the Armenian genocide associated with World War I. The Turks perpetrated this crime against the Armenian minority living with them whose presence was deemed, shall we say, inconvenient. To this day, the Turks have yet to fully acknowledge their acts. Growing up as I did in Fresno, California, I became acquainted with the genocide because of the significant Armenian population in the Fresno area. (A number of my classmates in various schools over the years were of Armenian heritage. It was so common that one hardly noticed.)
Back in the 1960s, Camel cigarettes launched an ad campaign across the nation featuring a buff young man smoking their brand. I saw billboards in Fresno proclaiming: THE TURK (as in “Young Turk,” I suppose): HE SMOKES FOR PLEASURE. In time, with some of those billboards, the word SMOKES became SMOKES, and the word KILLS was added. I got the message.
Well now, what about this defacing of private property (albeit publicly displayed)? I admit to thinking at the time, “Serves Camel right!” Did it? Even then, cigarette smoking was under assault. The perceived insensitivity to the Armenian ethos in central California and elsewhere added insult to injury. The Camel advertising campaign was short-lived, and the damage to signage was minimal. Damage to truth, though, continues to this day. How do we pursue truth? What actions are tolerated in its pursuit. What actions are beyond the pale? I have more questions than answers. I do believe that good questions can help us achieve good answers, but the path is slow. Boy, is it slow!
John 4:24 says: “God is a spirit and those that worship God must worship in spirit and truth.” I find this helpful, but I need more help. Years ago, I read that if a Bible passage is not clear, read still more of the Bible. There it is.
THE PICTURE: Here’s the referenced sticker: an artist’s simple conception of a forget-me-not.
A PRAYER. God, truth remains elusive under the best of circumstances; and when people attempt to hide the truth and hide from it, truth-seeking becomes all the more difficult. Give us, we pray, patience, purpose, and persistence in its pursuit. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.
