Wendell Berry

In recent years I have discovered the writings of Wendell Berry. I savor his use of words and connect with his understanding of nature, family and community. The popular term "sense of place" defines much of his writing. Having a similar rural small town background, I can experience his stories and poetry in a very real way.

On this Labor Day I reflect on this offering of Mr. Berry.

Whatever is foreseen in joy
Must be lived out from day to day.
Vision held open in the dark
By our ten thousand days of work.
Harvest will fill the barn; for that
The hand must ache, the face must sweat.

And yet no leaf or grain is filled
By work of ours; the field is tilled
And left to grace. That we may reap,
Great work is done while we're asleep.

When we work well, a Sabbath mood
Rests on our day, and finds it good.

Our Daily Bread

Ron and I are at Duke Divinity School for Convocation and Pastors’ School. “Our Daily Bread: A Theology and Practice of Sustainable Living” is the focus. Author, Wendell Berry; environmentalist, Wes Jackson; and theologian, Norman Wirzba are leading us into new understanding of our relationship to the earth, each other and God. I hope that I will be able to incorporate this into my life and ministry in the days ahead. But. for now I am enjoying the thought that I have met Wendell Berry, a favorite author and thinker of mine for a number of years. His poem, Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front, reveals much about who he is.

Whitefoot

Our grandchildren, Annaka and William, are both great first-grade readers and we are impressed by their proficiency. Parents, grandparents and other caring adults dutifully listen and praise them for their accomplishments. I know that our reading to them has been an important contributing factor to their learning to read and we have enjoyed doing this. However, I also know that reading experts urge us to continue this practice as it will further help develop our young readers’ skills. Vocabulary will be enhanced and imagination inspired as we carefully share good literature with them. Recently, I discovered such a book and can’t wait to share it with them.

Whitefoot is written by one of my favorite authors, Wendell Berry. Berry’s engaging prose takes both reader and listener on a fascinating journey with Whitefoot, a small mouse who lives at the edge of the woods. When the nearby river floods Whitefoot is carried into a strange new world and discovers that she can cope with the challenges - certainly a valuable life lesson. The portrait of this tenacious little mouse is not only drawn with well-crafted words, but also is enhanced by several pen and ink illustrations by Davis Te Selle. There is a lot within this small book for a young mind to ponder.

Rain, Rain!

As Longfellow wrote, “Into each life some rain must fall.” Today, I understand this reality. The earth is parched and the plants are suffering. The dark skies (and the Weather Channel) predict relief. Although I could use this as a metaphor upon which to reflect, sometimes what is literal is more important. Let the rains fall.

This connection and concern for the earth probably had its beginning in seeing my father, a farmer, watch the skies for much needed rain. In recent years, the writings of Wendell Berry have kept me sensitive to stewardship of the Earth and all of God’s creation. Currently, I am reading his book of essays, What Are People For? I think Berry is a prophetic voice and his works need to be read by more people. This rainy day would be a good time to start.

Dinner guests

Recently, I was asked that if I could invite three persons to dinner who might they be? What a difficult question! Tonight, I would like to have a nice roast beef dinner and invite Abraham Lincoln, Wendell Berry, and my grandmother. Why? I could come up with all sorts of explanations, but perhaps a trinitarian response is quite appropriate. A. Lincoln was a redeemer, W. Berry's writings focus on creation, and my grandmother continues to sustain me. To listen, discuss and learn from this experience would truly prepare me for Holy Communion.

I wonder who others would like to invite to their table?

Remembering

As noted previously, Wendell Berry’s prose and poetry speak to my soul. So, when Amazon told me that I might like to purchase another of his books from them, I couldn’t resist. Remembering is the account of one of Port William’s members, Andy Catlett, as he spends a long day in San Francisco 'remembering' his life and experiences. The loss of a hand to a corn picker has led him into a dark time. Depressed by the state of farming as defined by agribusiness terms and the deterioration of community, Andy begins to reclaim his identity through his memories of people, places and events of the past. I especially enjoyed his encounter with the Ohio State educated farmer followed by his visit with an Amish farmer. Remembering my own connection to farming and community added to my appreciation of this beautifully written book. However, it is worth reading by all who are seeking to know the value of place in their lives.

Blog Action Day

Today, over 15,000 bloggers around the web have committed to discuss matters related to our environment. Diverse voices recognizing the need for public discussion of the various topics under this broad topic are offering information, insight and inspiration in an effort to make us more aware of how we can be part of a more environmentally responsible world.

My contribution contains thoughts from “Our Daily Bread”, the Duke Divinity Convocation that I attended last week. It became a time of reclaiming an appreciation of an agrarian economy, one that I knew as a child in rural Ohio. It was with great interest I heard of the new attention being focused on local food production and trade and the renewal of a culture of community. However, it became obvious that for change to occur connections between food and the health of the land, soils and waters must be understood. Most of us have had our lives shaped by an economy based on cheap fossil fuels plundered and rugged individualism, even those of us with roots in the land. We have lots to learn and to practice. Norman Wirzba, an ecological theologian, reminded us that it is difficult to say grace authentically over our meals when we consider the practices (and injustices) that bring the food to the table. If we understand food as both a gift and a responsibility, what challenges must we accept?

A thought…

Wendell Berry says, “A society wishing to endure must speak the language of care-taking, faith-keeping, kindness, neighborliness, and peace.”