January 10, 2018 Page 5C
iR porter
Pictured here with his mother, Kelly, little Gunnar Gifford only
lived 12 days in this world but had an impact on those who
loved him. He will be remembered with a 5K Run/Walk event
on Jan. 13.
By Diane Glideweil tives living or living near
news@mymcr.net enough to keep up the
site. Proceeds from the
The 3rd Annual Remembering Gunnar
Remembering Gunnar 5K go toward its rest0ra-
5K Run/Walk will be tion projects.
Saturday, Jan. 13 at 9 The race route is only
a.m. at Paran Baptist minutes from High Falls
Church, 5691 Hwy. 42 State Park and Dauset
North, Forsyth. The race, Trails. Registration is
which runs through the $20. Trophies will be
scenic countryside of awarded to the top two
north Monroe County, male and female finish-
benefits Congenital Heart ers, and all participants
Defect Awareness and will receive medals. A
Paran Baptist Church breakfast brunch will be
Cemetery Fund. provided after the 5K.
The inspiration for the Contributions of non-
event is Gunnar Jesse perishable food will be
GLfford, born on Jan. donated to heart families
19, 2015 to a welcoming at Children's Healthcare
family only to slip away of Atlanta, Pediatric
12 days later in surgery Cardiac Units.
that his mother, Kelly, There will be a FunRun
was told had a 95 percent and other activities for
success rate. Kelly orga- children and families.
nized the race primarily The race especially wel-
to raise awareness of comes military partici-
Congenital Heart Defects, pants since Kelly joined
which affect nearly the Georgia National
40,000 infants in the U.S. Guard when she was 17
each year. and later began working
Gunnar is buried in the full time for the Guard
Paran Baptist Church and has many friends
cemetery, which dates and supporters among
back to at least the military personnel.
1800's. The cemetery is For more information,
maintained by a non- call 478-508-5867 or
profit 501c(3) since so email gunnarsrunner-
many of those resting schd@gmail.com.
there no longer have rela-
PASTOR'S CORNER by Mafilyn Tucker Marek
e
Understar
beyond worldly wisdom
In the congregation I serve
we observed Epiphany last
Sunday. Epiphany means
revelation. According to the
gospel of Matthew, the magi, wise
ones from the East, saw a new
star in the sky, and, being wise,
knew that it signaled
the birth of a new king
of the Jews.
They came seeking
this newborn king, and
caused quite a stir.
Herod, his advisors, and
all of Jerusalem were
afraid. Herod claimed
that title, king of the
Jews, for himself, and
he had Rome's support.
So he devised a plan to
use the magi to discover
the location of the newly
developing threat to his
power.
The magi, armed with
more information and the continu-
ing guidance of the star, finally
completed their quest and arrived
at the home of the child and his
mother. They paid homage to this
little boy child, kneeling before
him, likely with even more defer-
ence than they had shown to wily
Herod. They then offered him
gifts fit for a king: gold to sym-
bolize his reign, frankincense to
symbolize his worship worthiness,
myrrh to symbolize his death and
days in the tomb.
Rev. Marilyn Tucker-
Marek
This story invites us to consider
again the ways in which people
reacted to the birth of Christ. The
wise responded by searching for
him, and though they found the
child they sought not in a palace
but in a modest house and not in
a capital city but in a
small village, they still
knelt, worshipped, and
offered precious gifts.
The foolish responded
with fear, seeking to use
strangers who should
have been treated as
honored guests to bring
about the death of a
child.
God's reign does not
come in the way we
expect. Paul wrote to
the church in Corinth,
'~ f you think that you
are wise in this age, you
should become fools so
that you may become wise. For
the wisdom of this world is fool-
ishness with God." (1 Corinthians
3:18-19)
How different might the story
have been if Herod had not heard
the news of a potential rival with
fear, but with curiosity? How dif-
ferent might the story have been
if the magi, upon learning the
child they sought was not in a pal-
ace, had not kept looking?
Christ's coming invites us to give
up worldly wisdom, and to behave
as the wise ones did, in ways that
seem foolish to worldly sensibili-
ties. Christ's coming invites us to
challenge our assumptions about
what we expect, and who we will
follow.
Herod was a crafty and cruel
tyrant, yet for all his worldly
power God's plan was greater
and God's foolishness was wiser.
Herod does not get the last word.
The magi, those mysterious visi-
tors from the east who saw the
star and sought the child do not
get the last word. The child, who
in this story could not speak, gets
the last word.
Thanks be to God for this epiph-
any, for this marvelous revelation
of God's self. May we continue to
be guided by God's wisdom. And
regardless of what Herod may say
or do, plot or scheme, may we con-
tinue to seek Christ in the unlike-
liest ofplaces.
Rev. Marilyn Tucker-Marek is
the pastor of Forsyth Presbyterian
Church, 68 North Jackson St.
The Pastor's Corner is sponsored
by the Monroe County Ministerial
Association, which meets on the
third Thursday of each month at 8
a.m. at Pickled Okra, at the corner
of Jackson and Johnston Streets
on the Square.
PASTOR'S CORNER by Angela Johnson
reetings and Happy New Year
to you!
I want to share with you
something wonderful that hap-
pened for Reconciliation House Inc. I
had been ill and hospitalized during the
holiday season. As our annual Christmas
dinner feeding was approaching, I
thought to cancel it as our organiza-
tion is all volunteers. However, the calls
began to come in with requests and as I
lay in the hospital bed on Thanksgiving
thinking of how sad it was to be alone Angela Johnson
and hungry, I did not have the heart.
I also had several applications I had before
Thanksgiving that I had personally helped people
at the mobile food bank to complete. I thought how
I could not disappoint these families. I got
home from the hospital with less than a
month to go with no grants, no donations,
just need. I started making calls. In the end
we fed over 500 people with donations that
included food plates, drinks and manpower.
This community and friends gave
Christmas to many. Our volunteers ranged
from a nine-year-old, who has done this
with her mom and sister since she was
three, to an 83-year-old volunteer. I cannot
put it all here. I do think it is Good News
worthy.
Angel Johnson, Director,
Reconciliation House, Inc.
By Dr. Rodney Callahan feelings. This is normalwith the grief process.
and to be expected. As Christmas
Holidays are supposed 2. Acknowledge your approached, I decided to
to be times for rejoic- grief and loss with a enjoy it and grieve also. I
ing, not grieving. At friend or loved one. visited Dad's grave with
Christmas we are busy Choose someone who has Mom and admired the
shopping, eating, carol- patience and is a good lis- beautiful poinsettia she
ing, giving, and celebrat- tener. In hospice circles, had placed them. My
ing. However, grief can we have this saying: "A grief, sadness and loss
interrupt the festivities if grief shared is halved, were overshadowed by
we have lost a loved one. and a joy shared is dou-the many good memories
I remember the first bled." I can't explain how of my dad's 80-year life.
Christmas after my dad talking helps; I just know I asked the Lord to help
died. I missed him more it does. me focus on those good
than I could express. Who 3. Act on the resources memories and not on
would make his fudge available to you. I readthe sadness I was feel-
peanut brittle and spicy articles and pamphlets on ing. Dad always enjoyed
cider drink? I was feeling grief and loss. I restudied Christmas, and I knew
anxious and dreading the some of the Scriptures he would want me to
season. How can I get that dealt with grief and enjoy it this year, too.
through all this? I won- hope (see Ecclesiastes So I acted again. The
dered. 3:1-8; Psalm 30:5; John greatest of all resources
Let me share some 11; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 1I accessed was my faith
of the lessons that first Thessalonians 4:13-18; in the Lord and His
Christmas without Dad Revelation 21:1-4). promises. Paul said,
taught me. Explore grief support 'How abides faith, hope,
1. Accept that you feel groups. Some states havelove, these three; but the
grief and loss. The empty hospice groups for adults greatest of these is love"
stocking, vacant dinner and children. They also (1 Corinthians 13:13). I
chair, and holiday memo- have counselors and had faith that God and
ries may trigger these chaplains who can help [ could get through this
first Christmas. There
was the attitude of hope
that grief is a process
and healing can and does
take place in time. The
greatest hope was that I
would see my dad again
in heaven one day.
Love can mean renew-
ing our relationship
with others. Nobody can
replace our loved ones,
but investing our love in
others can fill some of the
void we feel.
The day I dreaded
came. Dad's absence from
the Christmas table was
obvious. Then, something
wonderful happened.
Family members jumped
the hurdles of fear and
anxiety and started talk-
ing about their experi-
ences with my dad,
W. Otis Callahan. We
remembered with laugh-
ter some of the funny
things he had said and
done. Although Dad was
not there in body, he was
with us in our memories.
The next day, as I
reflected, I felt a sense of
relief. Christmas Day had
passed, and by the grace
of God I had made it. I
remembered to Accept,
acknowledge and act. You
can, too!
Dr. Rodney Callahan minister to the commu-
is a retired U.S. Army, nity in many ways. This
Georgia Dept. of article appeared in the
Corrections and hospice Dec. 17, 2002 edition of
chaplain who lives in The Reporter.
Forsyth. He continues to
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