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Daryl Davis is a blues musician who, for the last 30 years, has been collecting KKK robes. He has over 200 in his home, which he saves as a reminder of the work he has been doing. Mr. Davis is an African American man whose uses his spare time to befriend members of the KKK. He visits them in prison, drives their families to visits and appointments, and does what ever else he can to show love to folks who have built their lives around hating him and people like him. His 200 robes have been given to him by 200 men he befriended and converted...
I’ve spent the last few months studying the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Most people are familiar with the story of Daniel being tossed into the lion’s den as a death sentence, only to be saved by God. That’s really just a minor episode in the story of Daniel, who was a Jewish man living in Babylon during the exile. The exile was a period of 70 years where the nation of Israel was decimated by the Babylonian empire. The majority of the population was carted off as captives to serve in Babylon when Daniel was a young man. He was press...
Summer 2020 Challenge One of my favorite songs, because my mom and brother, both gone now because of cancer, loved it: Summertime, an' the livin' is easy.Fish are jumpin' an' the cotton is high. Oh, yo' daddy's rich and yo' ma is good-lookin'.So hush, little baby, don' you cry. One of these mornin's you goin' to rise up singin' Then you'll spread yo' wings an' you'll take the sky. But till that mornin', there's a nothin' can harm you With Daddy an' Mammy standin' by. But summer is also a busy...
A couple of decades ago I graduated from high school and went off to college. I had a straight path in mind regarding what I was going to do with my life. I had intended on finishing a pre-seminary degree from a little private college I was attending. I would then attend seminary, which I had already picked out before arriving at college. At the end of my first semester, I found that the ancient language requirements to complete my degree were not going to be something I was going to manage (I squeaked through Biblical Greek with a very low...
The country is taking steps to open our doors. I believe it is a good decision and necessary to help us get over the changes we have lived through. Change can be a good thing under the right circumstances, but experiencing so many changes in just a few months certainly creates questions for what the future will hold. We as a ranching/farming family have not noticed a great deal of change in our daily lives, mostly we question what our crops and livestock's value will be in the Fall. Today we...
During the lockdown, one of the weirdest challenges I have taken on has been keeping my kids from eating nothing but junk food. If they had their way breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, supper, dinner, and every snack in-between would consist purely of processed sugar, corn syrup, chocolate covered, and deep fried stuff. I use the word “stuff” because most of what they would prefer to eat never qualified as actual food at any point so it requires a label that reflects the artificial nature of their foods of choice. There is a reason that the...
While teaching one day, Jesus was asked by an expert in the Jewish law codes ‘what is the most important commandment.’ His answer was to repeat the Old Testament summary of the 10 Commandments: Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself. This prompted another question: Who is your neighbor? Neither of these questions was unique among the ancient Jews. Rabbis had been arguing over these sorts of matters for centuries. In particular, the neighbor question was one of the 7 most hotly debated religious topics of the era. There...
Earth Day came and went without a mention from me. Surprisingly, because right now, walking outside is what brings normalcy to my life. My granddaughter was the one that brought it to my attention. She said to me, "yesterday on the 22nd was Earth Day. We don't have to celebrate the day, because we take care of the earth every day. Because we are farmers!" She's only six but the truth none the less. Every year on April 22, Earth Day is celebrated. This year marks 50 years of celebration. The...
In 165 AD, an epidemic swept through the Roman Empire, ravaging the western world for 15 years. The disease may have been smallpox, though it’s difficult to say with any certainty. Regardless of the nature of the illness, the result was devastating. Around a third of the population of Rome died. The population was justifiably terrified of the horrible illness. The wealthier amongst the Roman citizenry simply sequestered themselves in their country homes for years, while the poorer members of the population fled cities or did their best to r...
Hello April! Wow, that March lion cut loose a few days late! We were somewhat prepared for the storm as the warnings were out there, but it's always a surprise when the weatherman is right. It had finally dried out enough at our place; we didn't have to wear our muck boots everywhere. We were moving cow/calf pairs to green grass; the calves were loving it, bucking, kicking, and taking long naps in the warm sunshine. The meadowlarks were serenading us in pairs just in time for nest building and...
On Easter morning, I got out of bed early and spent some time reviewing my sermon notes for the morning. Taking a break from the effort, I posted something about my previous day’s activities on Facebook. Pastor Sean from the Lutheran Church messaged me that he was also up early and inviting me to watch the sunrise from the cemetery with him (from an appropriate social distance, of course). I agreed before hurriedly getting dressed and out the door to get to the edge of town before the sun rose. During the walk over, I spent time praying for f...
Letter to the Editor, This letter is to express the heartfelt thanks to a couple that have been bringing noon meals to several people in Big Sandy for several Saturdays now. That very special couple are Karen and Norman, Reinertson. I am sure there are other stories like this not only in Big Sandy but in many other places around the US. It is great to know about very special people like this. Robert Boettcher and Bernie Ellingson...
Dear Editor As schools finish up what has traditionally been their Easter break, they will be entering into the fifth week of school closures in Montana. Closures are scheduled to go until at least April 24, with the potential that the school closures remain in effect for the rest of the school year. This pandemic has lead to the postponing of spring sports, all student activities, and potentially traditional graduation ceremonies. Regardless of when this ends, it is going to forever change how we view public education and how we teach students...
During this time of trial, I see a lot of caring people, reaching out to help, to bless those who are in need. But I also hear and read a lot of negativity. It is during times like this I am reminded of my favorite verses. Philippians, starting with verse "4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your...
This past Sunday was Palm Sunday, the day that launches Holy Week in the church calendar. It is kind of an interesting and often misunderstood event. The gospels recorded it as the day that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem setting off a series of events that would end with his crucifixion. He approached Jerusalem from the east, having just raised Lazarus from the dead. News of the event had spread, and the excited masses came out to walk with him to the capital. As Jesus approached the city, riding on the back of a baby donkey, crowds came out from...
I've been thinking about something lately. When I was a kid, there were words I heard (and used) a lot at the time that didn't mean a damn thing to me. I didn't think about what they meant or if they would hurt anyone around me if I said them. The older I got, the more I became aware of the words and I won't lie, I slipped up and would say them, but started to notice it would leave a bit of sting in me after I would say them. I honestly believe it was God's way of telling me to knock it off....
Editor's note: Ella Idleman, 11 and in the sixth grade, is the daughter of David and Brianna Idleman "Oh, great. They added three more weeks of quarantine and no school," thought Annemarie as she read the morning news. "No more going anywhere for four weeks." It was the spring of 2020, and Annemarie and her family were right smack in the middle of the worst sickness in a century. That sickness was the coronavirus, or more officially called COVID-19. Annemarie Cottral was an 11-year-old girl who...
This year has been one of the worst for me. There was buzz how there was going to be a third world war over social media in January. I did not believe that any tension would escalate to that degree, but at one point, things did not look good between Iran and the United States. Tensions soon died down and things returned to normal through my perspective. Then I received some of the most destructive, saddening news at the time. The news was about the helicopter crash that killed nine people, including Kobe and Gianna Bryant. That crash put...
Years ago, while I was working in Northern Indiana, a series of powerful tornadoes struck the town where my job was located. The rural town was severely damaged, leaving many homes and farms decimated. I led a group of kids from work to do cleanup work in some of the neighborhoods. I will forever remember the sight of so much destruction in that quiet little farm community. Perhaps one of the most impressive sights though, was several days after the storms, while the cleanup effort was in full swing. Insurance representatives were all over...
Having grown up near the Missouri River in an isolated area, I don't really notice self-quarantine! We were always more than 5 miles away from anyone and are still pretty much that way today. My Mom and our family moved here in 1951; she had an outhouse and toilet paper was a luxury item they couldn't often afford or get to town to buy. Sears and Roebuck catalogs provided for their necessary needs and sometimes grass and sagebrush. So, the toilet paper shortage wouldn't have affected them much....
Much like the rest of this community, I have been following the news of all things related to COVID-19 closely. It has left me feeling scared for loved ones in larger cities and anxious for the near future, but overall it has left me with a heavy heart for those that are currently affected. I am blessed to say that I have not been directly affected too much. Aside from a few of my weekly meetings and my daughter’s preschool getting canceled, I find myself living by my same winter routine with limited outings. The world of travel, however, h...
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire wrecked the life of prominent lawyer Horatia Spafford. Spafford lost his four-year-old son in the blaze along with most of his property and his law practice. 2 years later, he had planned to tour Europe with his family, who traveled ahead of him by ship. The ship sank and his four daughters were killed. His wife notified him by telegram that simply read: “Saved alone.” Crushed by the loss of his children and financially destitute, Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife. On the journey, his ship passed the...
During times of stress when I struggle, when it appears there is no answer, I have always gone to the scriptures to find solace. The scriptures always give me comfort. These are challenging times. We have to wait and see, but it is my hope we can stop this virus before it rages the United States like it has other countries. The other day while reading my bible in the morning, I came across a simple scripture verse. “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord.” 2 Timothy 1:2 Like most, I would typically move rig...
Note: I wrote this story in 2018, as an homage to the memory of Buster Dunlap, a longtime family friend who was a cowboy from Circle, Montana. It was originally published in an online literary magazine titled Literally Stories, in a slightly altered form. I respectfully dedicate this story to the memory of Buster Dunlap, and to the memory of my father, Dana Sibra (1918-1993). I also want to dedicate it to the people of and from Big Sandy, in hopes that they remember that, in troubled times, there are those who have gone before, and they just...
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire wrecked the life of prominent lawyer Horatia Spafford. Spafford lost his four-year-old son in the blaze along with most of his property and his law practice. 2 years later, he had planned to tour Europe with his family, who traveled ahead of him by ship. The ship sank and his four daughters were killed. His wife notified him by telegram that simply read: “Saved alone.” Crushed by the loss of his children and financially destitute, Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife. On the journey, his ship passed the...
