Sweet Corn

One of the things my dad said about serving in World War II was that fresh vegetables were a very rare treat in the Pacific. They were not so rare in Wisconsin where I grew up. We had canneries around that area and, in fact, I worked at one—I can tell you all about peas and beets—and later found out it was the same one my dad had worked at years earlier. My great uncle had land that was planted in sweet corn and we looked forward to this time of year when he brought us several large bags of corn. It was great. One year he planted soybeans and brought over this large glass jar of them. This was about 40 years ago. None of us had ever seen a soybean before. What to do with them? My mom looked up a baked bean recipe and adapted it. They turned out to be pretty good. Things change in life; rarely do things stay the same. One of the great skills is the ability to work with what you have, not with what you used to have. Many churches are finding that the world has changed. They no longer have sweet corn. The big question is: “What will they do with the soybeans?”

Old and New

I have wide feet. Shortly after I was born, my Uncle Lou looked at me and said, “This kid is never going to tip over.” Back when shoes came in widths, I was a D. So finding shoes that are comfortable is difficult and when I find some good ones I hang on to them as long as I can. Someone years ago suggested skateboarder shoes because you need the most control over the board. I have never been on a skateboard, but I got a pair of Airwalks. They are great.
With time, though, even our favorite things wear out. I tend to try to get the most use out of things, but you reach the point when they just don’t work anymore. I was in Seattle a couple years ago when I noticed the ground seemed unusually bumpy, especially for a sidewalk. Then I noticed why. I had holes in my shoes.
We have many things that are dear to us and hard to let go of. But the time comes when they no longer fulfill their function and we need to look for something new. The adjustment can be a challenge, just like breaking in new shoes. But the point comes when what was comfortable isn’t any longer and then it is time for the new.

Imagination

Albert Einstein said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” With all due respect to Einstein, I am not sure this is right. Can you say that facts or reality are less important? That is the world in which we live. That is where many of us start.
And yet we need imagination. It is the world that puts facts together into meaning. It is the world of the bigger picture. And it is the world of what can be. Imagination can take us from reality to action. Consider this news contributed by Rev. Staci Marrese-Wheeler of the Lakeview Moravian Community Church in Wisconsin. The Glenwood Moravian Church on Madison’s west side held a food drive but noticed that many of the canned food contributions were not being taken by those who needed food. The reason was that many lacked even the basics, such as can openers. When they added can openers to the drive, people in need were served. Some people start with a vision.
What made it possible to serve others was a “jump” from the facts of the situation to doing something in a new and better way. It was an idea that made the difference. It put the two worlds together. Where do our “facts” lead us? If we use our imaginations, what new things are possible?