‘The faith of our fathers lives on’
There used to be a hymn we sang in our congregation: “Faith of our Fathers, Living Still.”
As a person ages, one has more memories from the past. Often in the present, we make decisions for the future with knowledge from the past. So from the past to the present, we have had many dedicated servants in our Mennonite congregation: ministers, pastors, teachers and active committee members.
What stands out most in my memories is the life of my father. Father was really a back-bencher; he never spoke up at meetings, never belonged to a committee, was never really in the limelight.
And yet, as a faithful member of the church, he served behind the scenes. In the Depression years, he took in the homeless. His hired helper received a bonus above the going wage. He sponsored refugees and took them in, never asked for travel expenses and was a strong supporter of Mennonite Central Committee.
As a pacifist, he served for a few years in the Red Cross in the First World War. He never had a driver’s licence, but in the early years he enjoyed the horse-and-buggy days. He helped the homeless to become independent. He suffered time and money sending his family to college.
So the faith of our fathers lives on to future generations. So life is always past, present and future.
Jacob J. Unger, Boissevain, Man.
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