By Helen Luhrs
When my mom died this winter, I realized the generation of my parents was gone. What I learned from them about faith and life was now mine to practice and pass on. To help me remember what I learned and treasure what nuggets of truth I want to share, these Summer Sundays are dedicated to Henry and Edith Blankespoor, my parents.
“Ears that hear and eyes that see–
the LORD has made them both.” Proverbs 20:12
I was a young Calvinist long before I knew about the Young Calvinist Federation or Young Calvinist Convention. My parents knew their theology and made sure their children did too. Mom only wanted to sing or even listen to songs with lyrics that met her theological criteria. If a song implied that men or women did the choosing before God did, she quickly labeled it Arminian and we really weren’t supposed to like that song. I was a bit disappointed a few times. I Have Decided to Follow Jesus has a nice ring to it and who doesn’t like the metaphor of In the Garden and its poignant line, “I come to the garden alone when the dew is still on the roses.”
My dad made sure we knew that comics portrayed families in a less than God-glorifying way since his dad had actually canceled the newspaper because Dagwood was a bit of a dufus who slept on the couch and certainly wasn’t as responsible as Blondie.
Do I want to be a hyper-Calvinist? No, I don’t. I am not going to analyze every song I sing or listen to, cancel any newspapers, or stop watching television shows that distort family values. In fact, I may have a few Arminian leanings. I want a God that loves people and encourages them to be freethinking, intelligent beings. Christian writer Rachel Held Evans blogs on the Arminianism vs. Calvinism topic by saying, “ I believe that God can be in control without controlling and that he desires a relationship with his creation that involves some degree of freedom.” I can relate to that idea.
But my legacy from my parents isn’t about Calvinism or Arminianism. What I am thankful for is the awareness I learned. I am thankful I was taught that words, images, and stories are not neutral. Has that awareness made me miserable at times? Yes. It would be much easier to “go with the flow,” but I can’t and I hope that makes me a better parent, teacher, and friend.
God, help me to enjoy your world and all it offers through the lens of faith. Give me the freedom to enjoy words, images, art, and stories that your creative people have fashioned. Help me be discerning without judging. Thank you for ears that hear and eyes that see.
An Iowa woman to the core, Helen Luhrs is a high school teacher who lives out in the country near Knoxville, Iowa. Helen and Lee have four married daughters, five grandchildren, a graceful prairie, and a square foot garden.
(Evans, Rachel Held). Blog. 4 November 2010. Web. 3 June 2015.)
