Fred Rogers, the star of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, reminded us of the importance of community. After last week’s shootings in El Paso and Dayton, we struggle to get our bearings. News of multiple deaths, injured bodies, and countless victims ripped across lives just as tornadoes tore through the northern edge of Dayton just weeks ago.
Mr. Rogers was a bearer of light and hope. He was interested in building healthy lives and strong communities. Some of my favorite quotes of Fred Rogers are below:
“All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors – in our own way, each of us is a giver and a receiver.”
“Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero.”
“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.”
Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church is committed to being a loving neighbor to people in need. Giving ourselves away, we seek to bless those around us. I celebrate the many ways our faith community extends its love to our neighbors, including:
Summer Jam, August 22, a free concert where we invite our neighbors to come and enjoy music on the church lawn
Free Vacation Bible School each summer, touching more than 300 lives with God’s love
Inter-Faith Hospitality, a ministry where we open our doors to families in need of shelter and food
Stephen Ministers, trained lay-care givers, who listen to people in times of change, grief, and loss
Grief and Loss Seminars, inviting our neighbors to find healing in seasons of pain
I am thankful to call you my neighbor. Let us hold onto God’s hand and one another’s hands during these troubling times.
Peace,
Pastor Cathy