“If we can somehow rid ourselves of illusions,” he said. “The illusion that we are greater or lesser than we are. The illusion that we’re going to save the world. There are a lot of illusions that people walk around with. I would love to be able to be present in every moment I have.”
― Fred Rogers, New York Times Magazine
The Merriam-Webster definition of a saint says, “one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness.” Mr Rogers would’ve said, “A saint is someone who is always nice to people, someone you can trust will give him or herself for others.” Fred Rogers created a magical world of education for children, while also living out the purest definition of sainthood. Millions of kids learned about the world in an innocent way before stepping out into the actual arena where dragons roam in the form of adults. His lessons stuck, as did his gentle effervescence.
The 1998 Esquire article “Can You Say… Hero?” by Tom Junod is a starting place for how Rogers impacted lives. The new film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, with Tom Hanks portraying the iconic figure, is now in theaters. The reviews are universally strong, but some have said that even Hanks at his best can’t quite capture the essence of the man who had a fortitude of love that few may ever match. The film is based on the relationship that evolved between the two. It shows the universal appeal of someone who exudes 24/7 grace, and how a person who bleeds it with such an open spigot will connect across racial divides. As Junod writes in the Esquire piece,
“He finds me, because that’s what Mister Rogers does—he looks, and then he finds. I’m standing against a wall, listening to a bunch of mooks from Long Island discuss the strange word—cariz —a foreign word—he has written down on each of the autographs he gave them.
First mook: ‘He says it’s the Greek word for grace.’
Second mook: ‘Huh. That’s cool. I’m glad I know that. Now, what the fuck is grace?’
First mook: ‘Looks like you’re gonna have to break down and buy a dictionary.’
Second mook: ‘Fuck that. What I’m buying is a ticket to the fucking Lotto.
I just met Mister Rogers—this is definitely my lucky day.'”
Hey, if a few f-bombs need to be dropped to open the door for the Lord’s grace, by all means, drop ’em. Rogers attended Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1963. He was a devout Christ follower who started every day with scripture reading and prayer. It’s safe to assume, he knew how powerful grace can be in a person’s life.
Here’s the thing, while Rogers knew his purpose was to spark the imaginations of children with puppets and trolleys, wowza, did he leave a Sasquatch-sized footprint on equality for all people. I didn’t put two and two together till last week when I used the Luke 10 scripture about the parable of the good Samaritan. I then realized how cagey a bird Rogers was as he sang “Please, won’t you be my neighbor.” Astonishing, and I may be the last guy to the party to realize the connection.
Luke 10:29-37
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan,as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
This was Mr Rogers way of teaching children at a young age that racism is for jackass morons; but he had too much integrity and gentleness to expose children to such crude grownup words. Yet what a reminder, he sang the request 912 times over 30 years. How brilliant considering the simple melody plus our penchant to internalize songs.
In another grace-filled shading of Rogers, this Vanity Fair interview, “Mister Rogers’s Gay, Black Friend François Clemmons Wears Tiaras Now” with the actor-singer who played Officer Clemmons for 30 years on the program, speaks volumes as to the deep layers of the gentle man. They developed a close friendship, and Rogers knew his closeted friend was gay. Clemmons says he never felt judged, even though Rogers had to draw a line in the sand for how much late 60s and early 70s viewers could stomach in racially-charged times. Rogers was smart enough to know that TV audiences were challenged enough to see a black man on television at that time, let alone someone who was also gay. How many 2019 employers would take that position? Sure, easy to say “I would” with Modern Family and Will & Grace, and numerous others. Keep in mind, ABC cancelled Ellen’s late 90s sitcom after she announced she was gay. Fred Rogers kept his friend and co-worker employed on the show, regardless of his sexuality, and took sledgehammer swings at showing acceptance. Check out this clip, “Being Black in ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’where Clemmons discusses how Rogers knew exactly what he was doing in pushing boundaries of acceptance. Check out 1:25 of the clip where he washes the feet of Officer Clemmons. Hmm, I remember a certain guy in scripture who did the same,
John 13:3-5
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
How endearing to see the legacy of a man steeped in gentleness and love, continue to resonate years after his death. A man who starred in a cheezy looking little public television show, who did not crown himself more important than anyone else. How many lessons of selflessness and true masculinity can I learn from a man who wanted everyone to be his neighbor.
See ya next time. ML