Monday Musing

Sitting on my desk in the upstairs bedroom is a small work of art in an inexpensive frame. The frame was purchased at the dime store in Ely, Minnesota when I was a boy. No matter where I have lived—Minnesota, California, Nevada, or Montana—this small watercolor in a dime store frame has never been lost. It doesn't have great value, nor would it ever find its way into an important museum. However, after almost fifty years, the artwork has remained with me through all my moves and life changes. The artist, a retired schoolteacher named Lembi, summered in a rustic cabin near my parents' home on Shagawa Lake. She would come from California in late May or early June and depart in early September. As a small boy, I would walk from my parents' house to visit her every couple of weeks. She must have painted many watercolors because I have at least eight or nine in the attic of my house in Coleraine. But the one I love, is the small watercolor of a seagull landing on the posts of a dock.

I think what makes this little work of art precious is the meaning it holds beyond the paint on the paper. I am reminded of the times I visited her in her cabin. She patiently listened to my endless chatter, nodded her head politely and always ended our visit by offering one of her homemade cookies. She often remembered my birthday, as it was in August. One year I received a plastic rocket ship, another year a coloring book. The last memory I have of her is when she gave me a book to help me identify birds. The small work of art with a seagull landing on the dock was the birthday card attached to the book. It is strange, I no longer have the book, but I still have the card!

I think the small watercolor is precious because it holds the memory of Lembi and tells a story that words can never fully express. It is a story about love. The type of love shared by a precocious young boy and a very patient and wise woman. Of course, there are other stories about love where actions speak louder than words. For example, the story of Jesus Christ. The love that Jesus commands of us is more than the words found on the pages of a book. We must put these words into practice if we are to truly understand their meaning. What beautiful pictures we could paint if only we would do so.

"I give you a new commandment, Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Call me old-fashioned, but I still like reading a newspaper. As a kid, I remember when the local weekly newspapers, the Ely Echo and the Ely Miner would appear in our mailboxes. They had great local news, covered all school events—from sports to band and choir concerts—and included obituaries. I can hear my mother's voice today asking my dad if he knew that so-and-so had died, and then explaining how they were related to this person or that person. For the daily paper, there were the Mesabi Daily News and the Duluth News Tribune. On Sunday, the big thrill was getting the Minneapolis Star and Tribune! We frequently fought over the comics. My grandfather, sitting back in his recliner after a day of work at the store, would light his pipe, and we could see smoke waft above the pages of the Wall Street Journal. Back then, we looked forward to the news, especially the news printed on paper.

Even so, today I only receive one newspaper in the mail. Ironically, it is a small but vibrant weekly newspaper from a small town I have never visited. Until I started receiving the newspaper, the only two people I know in this town are the ones who gave it to me as a gift. However, after a year of reading the Kerkhoven Banner, when I open its pages, I feel like I know the wonderful folks who live there. I follow their sports teams, community events, and even read the obituaries. When I read the letters to the editor, I often picture the person who penned them. This gift has introduced me to people I would never have met otherwise.

In a very similar way, the Bible is also a gift. It is a library of many stories, letters, parables, and even has an obituary. The Bible has introduced me to people I would have never met otherwise and includes a talking donkey. Not unlike the Kerkhoven Banner but with wider circulation, the Bible expands my mind and helps me know not just about where I live but about the whole world and the universe. Its editor is loving and kind, full of mercy, compassion, and justice. The Bible is not a book about punishment, even though there are some harsh stories within its pages. Rather, it is a collection of stories about possibilities and promise. The best part of the Bible is that within its pages, you can find the Good News: The Gospel of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that just as I now have a relationship with the good folks of Kerkhoven, even though we have never met, we can also be in a relationship with Jesus Christ when we read, proclaim, and share Christ's message of hope and unconditional love found in the book called the Bible.