Where is Mr. Rogers When We Need Him?

photo by Rogelio A. Gazloviz / flickr

Coming back from Amsterdam last week—please, please I am not just name-dropping. Anyway—it was a nine and a half hour flight. To find something to do I punched on the movies and there it was: A film about Mr. Rogers. I Hope you get to see it. I was mesmerized as his story unfolded. He was a Presbyterian minister but wanted to tell the story that we Christians are supposed to believe in a fresh way, Somehow the power of television was just beginning and so he began this program called “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”. Our kids loved it. But so did children all over. 

His central focus was on children—talking to them. Not talking down to them and certainly not sermonizing. Just talking to them as real people and letting them know that they mattered.  He wanted them to know that they were important and that who they were was a special gift from God. Nobody, nobody should take that away, he said. Like Jesus years before—he gathered them all up in all his programs and let them know how very special they were.

He wrote many  songs about his deep-held philosophy. This was one of those songs. 

"You are my friend
You are special
You are my friend
You're special to me.
You are the only one like you. 
Like you, may friend, I like you.

In the daytime
In the nighttime
Any time that you feel's the right time
For a friendship with me, you see
F-R-I-E-N-D special
You are my friend
You're special to me.
There's only one in this wonderful world
You are special."


He helped so many of us.. He got the point that so many Christians forget today: that the task of religion is to remind us who we are.  And all of us are children of God. I knows that's quite a stretch and sometimes I wish he hadn't said it but it is true.

The eleven days we spent away from home was such a respite from all the chaos that we

photo by Blink O'fanaye

are inundated with in this country. But we did watch bits and pieces of the Kavanaugh saga. I watched a little as that courageous Dr. Ford stood before the whole world and poured her story out. I saw where so many turned their backs on her and said she was making this up or somebody else besides Justice Kavanaugh had sexually abused her. The President, of course got in on that act and led the sneers and the public abuse that keep so many women quiet.  She was not taken seriously by many people. After all Justice Kavanaugh squeaked through and is now on the Supreme Court. 

But if there is any point to my meanderings it is this. Mr. Rogers was right. We are all special. We all count. Nobody should be left out of the circle. To say that the Democrats has choreographed this whole sad sage was utterly ridiculous. As usual our President did not know his facts. The surly Republicans want to keep the power. Even nasty Democrats that can sometimes get too ta-ta with their enemies. We are all human beings. Immigrants trying to slip into this country. Those 500 caged children. The guards that incarcerate them. And the people that write the rules. Reckon that includes Fox News? I am afraid so.

Civility and just remembering we are all children of God has been lost in the shuffle. The President with all his braggadocio did not cause this. But he does fan the flames. If we do not begin to return to some kind of gentleness and kindness as a people we are headed over the cliff. 

Sitting on that plane as Mr. Rogers reminded me of how very valuable we all are—there was a lump in my throat. We are a long way from treating one another as if we all count. But it is our task to make this world a better place. And we cannot do it without remembering that the greatest of these really is love. And that’s a hard challenge in any age—especially ours. 

photos by throgers / flicker

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com