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July 4, 2005
I recently heard from my cousin Bill in California. Actually he now calls himself Chuck, which is fine by me.
He wanted to tell us that his son Roger has just entered a Russian Orthodox seminary in Pennsylvania. It’s not that any of us are Russian — Roger has been teaching in Northern California for years and there’s a very strong Russian presence there — I guess. I must tell you that Bill/Chuck’s older child is his daughter Hillary who is 6 feet five and gorgeous and is a dancer in LasVegas — she was actually at the Folies Bergere in Paris for some years. Wed have a picture of my aunt Irma, now in here nineties — not tall — clutching her purse — standing beside tall Hillary — mostly feathers — beaming like any proud Grandma.
Now when I say that none of us are Russian I must tell you that Bill/Chuck discovered his Scottish heritage rather late in life and took to wearing Kilts. All things are possible in California. Bill/Chuck is himself 6 feet 5 and skinny so you have a picture of bony knees sticking out of a kilt.
I have a vision of their family reunion.
I mention all this because you may remember Bill — in those days — as the cousin I grew up with — spent every summer with. We were usually at my Grandfather’s summer home on a lake in Wisconsin. My grandfather had emigrated from Norway— the dream of all Norwegians in to have land. The first thing they do is build a cottage and put up a flagpole all of which he had done.
Bill was the creative one — a would- be inventor. He really did perfect invisible ink one time — something to do with milk as I recall.
At any, the most memorable ~ of July in my childhood was the year that Bill thought to invent his own fireworks; actually just one firework. As a big surprise to all adults present. So he took a brown paper bag and filled it with confetti. Into that he inserted strings of little firecrackers — called ladyfingers — with all the entwined fuses sticking out of the bag His plan was to wait until dark and the adults present were sitting outside conversing. He would then throw this firework into their midst. They would, of course be surprised and delighted.
As predicted darkness fell and the adults were seated in lawn chairs enjoying the evening. It was so peaceful; all the stars — a gentle breeze — all the fireflies. Bill came stealthily across the lawn, bag and match in hand. He lit the fuses and lobbed his invention right over their heads.
It had been an exceptionally dry summer that year. The confetti, ignited by the firecrackers came down in a hundred individual flames onto the dry, dry lawn. The adults were indeed surprised. The all ran around stamping out fires on the lawn. My grandfather said words in Norwegian I had never heard before, and never since. Bill was nowhere to be found.
Now so that you think this tale has no theological significance, It seems to me that it’s all a fair description of just how Jesus can come into our lives. We do like our calm and our comfort but sometimes, as we are relaxing in our personal metaphoric lawn chair, Jesus lobs his own fireworks into our midst and we are called to action — perhaps even stamping out fires. That’s my experience. It can be scary but never dull.
And what happened to Bill. Actually Bill/Chuck moved to California and cofounded a company from which he recently retired. It’s called “Explosive Technology, Inc.”
