The gift of thanks
Over the past few years, my wife and I have donated several thousand dollars worth of toys to various charitable organizations in the area.
Toys for Tots, Angel Fund, Black Crow Media, the District Attorney’s Office, the Methodist Home and several others.
I understand that charity is anonymous.
I expect no personal thanks from the recipients of this giving.
It would be nice for the parents of these children to at least say "thanks." Thanks for giving to my children things that I couldn't or wouldn’t. Thanks for not seeing the race of my children. Thanks for caring about my children. Just “thanks.”
Thus far I have seen two items in Rant and Rave from people who received gifts from all of the area charities.
The Bike Ride served up over 2,000 toys. I have no idea what the Empty Stocking Fund or all of the other charities have donated.
Do these people just expect that they should get their gifts for free? Is life free for them? Ask a Veteran. It ain't free.
Greg Beach
Morven
Discovering the Law of THERE
2009 was a very special year for me. It was the year that I celebrated my seventy-first birthday. It was also the year that Serenity Christian, the perfect church for imperfect people, was born. 2009 was the year that I discovered the Law of THERE.
The realization of Serenity's vision could only be THERE, on North Lee Street, where the ceiling in the sanctuary is shaped like the inverted hull of a slave ship; THERE, where the address is 1619, the year the first slave ship landed at Jamestown; THERE, on Lee Street, named after Robert E. Lee, the Confederate General whose mission was to keep blacks in slavery; THERE, where the phone number is 241-1863 — 1863, the year slavery ended.
It is at Serenity where our children learn the truth about themselves and are free to love and accept themselves as children of God and, therefore, love and accept others as their brothers and sisters. It is there, THERE where they learn the truth about their African heritage and their American experience, that they are, in fact, the sons and daughters of kings and queens, and are proud of who they are.
Although Serenity is unapologetically Christian, and unashamedly African American, its doors are open to whosoever meets us there, sinners all. For it is THERE that we recognize that sin is our common bond, grace is our common need, and Jesus is our common savior.
It is THERE where we judge no one, condemn no one. It is THERE that the judgment seat is reserved for God, and everybody sits on the love seat with Jesus.
Floyd Rose
Senior Servant
