<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" class=""><div dir="auto" class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">Grandfather and I<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> <b class=""> </b></span><div class=""><br class=""></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Banty rooster, tent revivalist,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Canadian Russian American</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Mennonite.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Even at five foot seven too large for the parlor,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">too large for the spartan pulpits.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">His coke-bottle glasses glint the fire within.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">His rhetoric booms of pagan hordes</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">in South China </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">plodding the path to Hell.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">His intensity stirs the loins of the bonneted women.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">His intimate grasp on an overalled farmer’s bicep</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">opens the parishioner’s soul </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">as well as his coin purse.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The year is 1913.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Through Russia, across Siberia,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> Manchuria, via Vladivostok and Japan</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">to China.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The Lord led and F. J. Wiens followed,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Agnes and children in tow.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Fits and starts landed them</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">up the Han River in Shanghang,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">the journey in poled and pulled boats,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">nature displayed in splendor,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">locals agape,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">“many of them running about</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">In nothing but Adam’s clothes”.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">His white skin, pith helmet, </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">bicycle, mouth harp</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">drew Hakka Chinese like moths to a candle.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">And his steely will, ebullient nature, </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">and chest of medicines</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">won the hearts of the Confucians,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">city leaders, and Generals alike.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">His autobiography,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">“Fifteen Years Among the Hakkas</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Of South China”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">maintains a modest and God-serving tone</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">while relating tales of courage and fortitude.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Staring down river pirates.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Negotiating peace</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">between war lords.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">When Agnes passed,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">he mail-ordered a new Mennonite bride,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Agnes II,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">who steam-shipped to the Far East</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">to meet and marry the little rooster</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> and raise his brood.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Here I am</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">reading Grandfather’s book</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">a century later.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I, skeptic of religious fervor, methods, and mission;</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">witness to religious subjugation </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">of indigenous Americans, both North and South.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I end up grudgingly admiring my banty grandfather</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">and his Dominicker hens. </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;" class=""><br class=""></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Has my life, </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">shunning evangelism of any ism</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">and avoiding judgement at all costs,</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">been of any more value </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">than his?</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The anointed answer a resounding “No!”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">The pagan horde cares not.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I’ll leave it there.</p><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Butch Gerbrandt</div> <br class=""><div style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Calibri; min-height: 13px;" class=""> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></div></body></html>