Minister’s Letter — May 2007

Dear Friends,

“What shall I write?” I ask myself as I start to prepare for this column. I look up above my desk and see the rows of book shelves. My eye catches the name Studs Terkel, one of my favorite writers–such a great writer/conversationalist he is. I think I try to mimic him when I listen to my therapy patients and invite them to share their life stories. But then I note the title of the book, on which his name is printed: Will the Circle Be Unbroken? It jumps right out at me. I immediately remember that old hymn when I was a child when my grandmother sang it as she cooked dinner every night: Will the circle be unbroken, by and by, Lord, by and by. Terkel’s book is based on interviews with dozens of people who are asked in the Terkel manner, to share their reflections about death, rebirth and hunger for a faith. I read it a few years ago. So I take it down off the shelf and I open it. I see that I’ve underlined in red about half of its pages.

What’s going on? Well, with the death of our good friend Dirk Barrett, whose memorial we celebrated a few days ago and of course with the images of Virginia Tech still searing my mind, maybe that’s why the book jumped out at me as it has. Life ends, sadly, tragically sometimes. Life goes on and on. The circle continues. Does it?

What is the circle? Well, of course, it’s the circle of family, friendships, and children. It’s the circle of life’s connections. Will it be unbroken? Don’t know. I do know that I will never forget Dirk. I will never forget how 32 lives, young and old from all over the world, were ended tragically on a college campus. This frightens me and yet also makes me appreciate the connections I am privileged to have and nurture–my wife, my children, my family, my friends–including all of you reading this essay.

Interestingly we sponsor Community Circles at the Fellowship, where people come together to share their stories and spiritual journeys face to face. At weddings, I say that the ring is a circle that has no beginning and no end. A couple of weeks ago in a sermon I talked about the circles of relational activity that we participate in at the Fellowship–caring, deepening, embracing, giving. These are the roots that hold us close.

Will the circle be unbroken? I say it will remain unbroken as long as we keep giving to the life that we have, brief, sometimes tragic, always mysterious. That is, it will never be broken so long as we all keep doing the best we can to care for one another, learn and live as best we can in our communities. The circle of connection that we share at the Fellowship is the same that existed 50 years ago. The people are different. The connection is the same and the values we share. The circle remains unbroken.

We give in many ways to make that Fellowship circle eternal, through service, time, energy and money. When we make a financial commitment, we strengthen the circle of connection with promise and hope. When we teach our children the values and ethics of responsible living, we strength the circle with moral commitment and vision. When together we work to serve the common good, the circle remains unbroken.

One of the persons Studs Terkel interviews is a Rabbi Robert Marx. He says: I think Hell is within us. . . .I believe that there’s also Heaven in us, too, but I believe there’s Heaven that transcends us. I’m talking about what we do on Earth. I’m also talking about something that takes place in us and through us after our life is ended. We are preceded in life by our mothers and fathers, and I think we, in turn, give something even in our death, to those people who come after us. . . . .

Ah, so that’s what I’m trying to say! I know it’s true of Dirk Barrett. And it’s true even of those who died in Blacksburg, Virginia. Maybe it’s not true of everybody. But, maybe even those who die in infamy, whose lives are a living hell, ironically reveal a truth never to be forgotten. And so, the circle remains unbroken. I love you all. Jim Covington