As many of you know, I admired Fred Rogers greatly, and continue to do so in these years since he has entered the Church Triumphant and is no longer among us.
Fred was a remarkable Presbyterian pastor whose pulpit was the medium of television and whose congregation, via "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", was as big as the globe. I was so blessed to be numbered among his many friends and treasure his wise and caring influence in my life. I am so grateful for the conversations we had over lunch or dinner, and the thoughtful letters he wrote (always handwritten) to our family, such as the one you see in the photo above.
Fred is greatly missed by his friends and his fans all over the world, who saw in him the good neighbor that he was.
I thought of Fred as we sang "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" this Tuesday in the meeting of Central Florida Presbytery's worship service. Fred preached on Martin Luther's great hymn, during my Pittsburgh Theological Seminary doctoral graduation in 1994, at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Whenever I hear the hymn, Fred's insights from that day, return anew.
PBS has recently released a new video that is based upon Fred's positive impact on the world. It is a montage of moments from his television show, featuring one of his own songs, in which he reminds us that we can grow many things in the garden of our minds.
It may bring a smile and perhaps a tear as well. You can see it here:
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