Wednesday, May 30, 2012

THE WITCH OF PUNGO


        Memorial Day weekend we traveled to Norfolk to visit with our son, Knight, and his wife, Amanda.   Knight is stationed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.  Knight had been out at sea for a few weeks and is scheduled to leave in three weeks for a 10-month deployment, so he was looking forward to break. 

        Knight told us that the small town of Pungo, Virginia has an annual Strawberry Festival every Memorial Day weekend and he always wanted to go.   I love strawberries, and the thought of multitudes of strawberries prepared in various and sundry ways sounded very enticing.   So early Saturday morning we drove over to Pungo, which is located just south of Virginia Beach.  

        We paid $5.00 to park the car in a muddy field and then walked a pretty good distance to get to the center of activities.  The first attractions were carnival rides, much like the ones we have at our county fair.  There was also a big tent with farm animals and a petting zoo.   Loud speakers were blaring all over town as the opening ceremonies were kicking off and the MC was rattling off the names of all the important people who would get their feelings hurt if their names were not mentioned.  

        I must say the MC was no Lee Jessup!   He needed a little more pizazz!   And unless I missed it, there was no blessing!   I always have the honor of blessing the BBQ at our annual festival, and I was sure some local minister would bless the strawberries, but if one did, I missed it. 

        As the subdued MC was naming the people sitting on the master stage, he saved his best enthusiasm for “The Honorary Witch of Pungo!”

 I looked at Joyce and said, “Did he say, “witch?”  

        “I think so,” she responded. 

        Knight and Amanda went off to find an ATM and when they got back we decided to find something to eat.   I envisioned strawberry waffles, strawberry pie, strawberry omelets, strawberry biscuits, strawberry sandwiches, strawberry soup, but all we saw was fair food.   We finally settled on a Gyro (it wasn’t bad at all) but as we were eating it I remarked, “I haven’t seen a strawberry yet!”

        About the time we got finished we heard sirens and a parade started.   We saw the motorcycle officers with lights flashing and sirens blaring leading the way.  After a slew of police cars and fire trucks, there were several convertibles carrying the distinguished guests, including one carrying the “Honorary Witch of Pungo” who was just as happy as she could be waving to the crowd.  

        Then came a marching band, the Shriners, the spelling bee champion, and the local dance studio students.   A local contemporary church had a big float with their rock band playing and about 50 people following on foot.  Then came antique cars—a bunch of them!   There were fire trucks, rescue squad vans, and several cars that seemed to have gotten in the parade by mistake.  I think they were looking for a parking place. 

        There was a lady who looked official standing in front of me keeping people off the street, so I struck up a conversation with her. 

        “This is a nice parade,” I said.  

        “Sure is,” she responded.  “And this is just the beginning.   This parade will last for 90 minutes, and longer if they keep stopping.”   

        I looked at my watch.   Only 10 minutes had passed. 

        “I kinda thought I would see a few strawberries here,” I told her. 

        “That’s a problem,” she said in a low voice.  “Our crop was awful this year.  What we have they had to ship in.”  

        I had one more question I just had to ask, “Could you tell me about the Witch of Pungo?”

        He face lit up and she said, “Well, it goes back 300 years when Grace Sherwood was accused of being a witch.” 

          The witchcraft case of Grace Sherwood is one of the best known in Virginia. She was accused of bewitching a neighbor's crop in 1698. Allegations grew over time until the Princess Anne County government and her accusers decided she would be tested by ducking, since water was considered pure and would not permit a witch to sink into its depths. Sherwood's accusers, on July 10th, 1706 at ten of the clock, tied her thumbs to big toes cross-bound and dropped her into the western branch of the Lynnhaven River near what is now known as Witchduck Point. Sherwood floated, a sign of guilt. She was imprisoned, but was eventually released. Sherwood lived the rest of her life quietly, and died in 1740. Was she really a witch or was Grace a woman before her time? She was a healer, a midwife and a friend to the children and animals.

(If an accused witch drowned, then she was declared innocent, which strikes me as some consolation!  However, Grace Sherwood was innocent, but it would take 300 years to clear her name.)

          On the 300th anniversary of her conviction, the Governor of Virginia pardoned Grace Sherwood with these words:

"I am pleased to join the Mayor of Virginia Beach in extending best wishes as you work to promote justice in the 1706 "Witch Ducking" case of Grace Sherwood. With 300 years of hindsight, we all certainly can agree that trial by water is an injustice. We also can celebrate the fact that woman's equality is constitutionally protected today, and women have the freedom to pursue their hopes & dreams. The historical records that survive indicate that Ms. Sherwood, a midwife and widowed mother of three, survived her "trial by water" in 1706. Those records also indicate that one of my predecessors, Governor Alexander Spotswood, eventually helped her reclaim her property. The record also indicates Ms. Sherwood led an otherwise quiet and law abiding life until she died at the age of 80. Today, July 10, 2006, as 70th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I am pleased to officially restore the good name of Grace Sherwood. Sincerely, Timothy M. Kaine, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia

        She became the only deceased person in Virginia to ever be exonerated of a crime.

        Having received this great gift of knowledge and learning that there would not be a blessing of strawberries, we decided to depart.  But on the way out we found a Lion’s Club booth selling Stawberry Shortcake.  Even with imported strawberries, it was mighty good!      

        But the best thing was that we got see the “Honorary Witch of Pungo!”   Don’t you love it!

       

Saturday, May 12, 2012

BEING TRUE TO MYSELF AND TRUE TO JESUS

        I was on the charter bus Monday morning with 39 wonderful Bible scholars (who attend the Monday night/Tuesday morning Bible Study) making our way to Savannah, Georgia for the 16th Annual Bible Study Field Trip when I received a call from my friend, Max Walser.  Max had seen all the letters in the paper in response to my article on Amendment One and wanted to know how I was doing.  Max has been in public service his entire life and knows what it is to be attacked.  He thanked me for standing up for the truth and said, “You knew this would happen when you wrote the article.”
        “Yes, I did, but as Jim Phillips (who was sitting beside me) told me, you have to be true to yourself.”
        I knew the article would generate a lot of discussion, but I never imagined it would explode the way it did.  The Dispatch can track how many “hits” an online story has and primarily because of the article being shared on Facebook and Twitter it was viewed over 46,000 times.  It generated a lot of feedback!
        While some of the responses both online and in the paper were thoughtful and reasonable, the angry, vitriolic, and hateful ones were disturbing.  I was told many times I was going to hell.  I was called a false prophet, a minister of Satan, and a son of the devil.  My credentials were questioned as a minister and one writer even admonished my church to question my Biblical integrity. 
        The personal attacks do not bother me.  But I was upset when my family and my church family were condemned.  I was told my entire family and my church family were all going to hell.  Last Sunday an anonymous package was left at one of the doors to the church.  It had a letter with my name on it.  The letter was another hate-filled attack.  The package was not opened but turned over to the Lexington Police Department.  The identity of the sender was quickly determined.  It was one of the letter writers. 
        It was evident that many of the responders never read my article.  I received many emails in which the writers gave very detailed Biblical reasons to oppose same-sex marriage.  Never in my article did I endorse same-sex marriage.  I was opposed to the amendment. 
        The issue of homosexuality is one of the most difficult issues to understand.  I have known people who simply have chosen this lifestyle for a variety of reasons.  I think that is wrong.  I believe this is condemned in Scripture.  But the problem comes with people who feel they were born as homosexuals.  I have known more people who did not “choose” this lifestyle but tell me this is who they are.  If someone is born a homosexual, they have no choice.  They were created this way.  And that is where this issue gets complicated. 
        This presents a major challenge to the Biblical interpreter.  What do you do with the passages that specifically list homosexuality as a sin?  Didn’t God create us “good,” and in his image?
        As a Christian I believe in interpreting the Bible Christocentrically.  That means we interpret everything through the “Jesus filter.”  I always go back to the last night before the crucifixion.  One of the last things Jesus did was leave his disciples with a “new commandment.”  “Love one another,” he said, “as I have loved you.” 
        Whatever we do, whatever we say, whatever stand we take must be grounded in love.  I was opposed to the amendment because it was not grounded in love.  It singled one group of people out.  It marginalized them, isolated them, and made them feel like second-class citizens.  This is wrong.   
        I don’t pretend to be an expert on the homosexual issue, but I will not judge.  God will be the judge, not me.  But I have been commanded to love others as Jesus loves me.  That means loving unconditionally. 
        If I’m going to be criticized and attacked, I have no regrets knowing that I took a stand for Jesus.  I took a stand for love.   I was true to myself.  I was true to Jesus.  I will gladly take the heat.