Memory is a funny thing. Some events in my life stand out very clearly. Others…. well, let’s just say they’ve faded into the recesses of my mind. There is one memory that stands out after more than forty years: the day I met Fred Rogers.
I was 19 or 20 years old, a student at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. It was a dark, dreary day. Looking for something to do, I stopped into a store that was a landmark in Pittsburgh for many years: Jay’s Book Stall. Jay’s was an independent bookstore with a wide range of books. The proprietor was Jay Dantry, was a playwright, dramatist, and literary heavyweight who drew best-selling authors from around the world to Pittsburgh for readings, lectures, and writing seminars. On this particular day, I made my book selections and went to the counter to pay. Jay was speaking with a small-built man in a dark trench coat. (Remember: It was around 1977 or 1978 so a dark trench coat was stylish for the time.) Jay broke the conversation with the man and said, “There’s a young man you should meet.” That’s when he introduced me to Fred Rogers.
I chatted with Fred for a few minutes that day. I didn’t really know who he was. He expressed interest in my undergraduate studies in theology and psychology. He was kind and encouraging. Surprisingly, he became something of a background figure in my life until I moved from Pittsburgh in the early 90s.
There’s a famous quote: “Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” It’s often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. While there’s no evidence that St. Francis ever said that, it’s remained a potent sentiment for me. To preach the gospel at all times but to only use words when necessary draws one to live in ways that exemplify the teachings of Jesus. I don’t know anyone who did that any better than Fred Rogers.
Fred was a Presbyterian minister and active in the Pittsburgh Presbytery (PCUSA). A member of Sixth Presbyterian Church located a few blocks from Tree of Life Synagogue (site of a mass shooting in 2018), Fred focused on his work with children while being a background, silent supporter of issues that impacted people’s wellbeing. He was careful not to mix his “brand” with controversial issues, but that didn’t prevent him from using his influence to speak privately with people to create in-roads for advocacy. I know because he did that for me.
Fred had an amazing ability to be present to people in day to day situations that made them feel special and loved. That’s what I experienced that day at Jay’s Book Stall. It was clear that Fred understood that this is what it meant to be a Christian. He shared God’s love with others, one person at a time.
In these weeks of Advent, as we prepare for Christmas, stories of John the Baptist and his street preaching fill churches. There are calls to prepare the way of the Lord and to repent. Perhaps at a time when the world is so divided by politics, greed, and other social ills, it may be a time to forgo yelling more demands at each other to change. Just perhaps the role of someone preparing a way for God in the world today is more like Fred Rogers: a person who accepts each person with kindness and warmth, who demonstrates respect and interest in others, who does what can be done to make the world a better place.
Indeed, in this Advent season, I hope to be more like Fred, to be a good neighbor, to treat each person with kindness and respect no matter who they are. Perhaps if we all were more like Fred, the neighborhood of God’s realm would be alive in the world today.
Photo by wallyg on Trendhype / CC BY-NC-ND