DE PONDERINGS
by Kevin Kessler, District Executive
The Century Marks feature in the November 4, 2008 issue of The Christian Century provided an interesting story. The story originated from the Durham, NC, Herald-Sun newspaper. Ted Triebel and Peter Klopfer began jogging together 21 years ago. At the time, they didn’t know each other well. Klopfer didn’t know that Triebel, a retired navy captain and former Vietnam prisoner of war, had just come to Duke University to run its new navy ROTC program. Triebel didn’t know that Klopfer, a pacifist Quaker, had been sentenced to prison for his refusal to serve in combat in the Korean war and had chaired a committee that had tried to abolish the ROTC program on campus. They became better acquainted and found mutual interests beyond jogging. The men and their wives socialize together. They have agreed to disagree on their views of the morality of war, and have forged two decades of friendship. They still jog together three times a week.
This story brings to mind two passages of scripture. The first is from Romans 12, verses 16-18: “Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” The second is Ephesians 4, verses 1-6: “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” A quote also comes to mind: If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. This quote likely is derived from a prayer Peter Marshall, US Senate Chaplain, gave in 1947 when he said: “Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.” Triebel and Klopfer both stood for something. It’s assumed that they were very clear about their positions. Yet, it can also be assumed that they stood for Romans 12:16-18 and Ephesians 4:1-6. I get the impression sometimes that when we talk about these two scripture passages there is the assumption that we become wishy-washy—that we can’t stand for something and still bear with another and live together peaceably and love one another. Triebel and Klopfer prove the assumption wrong. Do we? Can we? These two passages of scripture don’t ask us to change each other’s mind. I believe these scriptures ask us to understand that as the human species we have different ideas and thoughts and values and, yes, even beliefs. And, we can stand firmly upon our ideas, thoughts, values and beliefs. AND, we can do so peaceably, bearing with one another in love. I really think it’s the way Jesus would want us to live together.
The Century Marks feature in the November 4, 2008 issue of The Christian Century provided an interesting story. The story originated from the Durham, NC, Herald-Sun newspaper. Ted Triebel and Peter Klopfer began jogging together 21 years ago. At the time, they didn’t know each other well. Klopfer didn’t know that Triebel, a retired navy captain and former Vietnam prisoner of war, had just come to Duke University to run its new navy ROTC program. Triebel didn’t know that Klopfer, a pacifist Quaker, had been sentenced to prison for his refusal to serve in combat in the Korean war and had chaired a committee that had tried to abolish the ROTC program on campus. They became better acquainted and found mutual interests beyond jogging. The men and their wives socialize together. They have agreed to disagree on their views of the morality of war, and have forged two decades of friendship. They still jog together three times a week.This story brings to mind two passages of scripture. The first is from Romans 12, verses 16-18: “Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” The second is Ephesians 4, verses 1-6: “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” A quote also comes to mind: If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. This quote likely is derived from a prayer Peter Marshall, US Senate Chaplain, gave in 1947 when he said: “Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.” Triebel and Klopfer both stood for something. It’s assumed that they were very clear about their positions. Yet, it can also be assumed that they stood for Romans 12:16-18 and Ephesians 4:1-6. I get the impression sometimes that when we talk about these two scripture passages there is the assumption that we become wishy-washy—that we can’t stand for something and still bear with another and live together peaceably and love one another. Triebel and Klopfer prove the assumption wrong. Do we? Can we? These two passages of scripture don’t ask us to change each other’s mind. I believe these scriptures ask us to understand that as the human species we have different ideas and thoughts and values and, yes, even beliefs. And, we can stand firmly upon our ideas, thoughts, values and beliefs. AND, we can do so peaceably, bearing with one another in love. I really think it’s the way Jesus would want us to live together.
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