Day 4 – A Silent Retreat

Today was a day to be quiet. I planned some of that and some of that found me.

I woke up to thunder and rain. A 100 percent chance all day long. And that is what it did do and it was perfect.

I headed into Plains – about 9 miles from the farm. I toured this hometown of Jimmy Carter throughout the am hours. His boyhood farm a few miles out of town – quiet and serene – and yes I was the only person there. Walking through his boyhood home and staring out into the surrounding fields added to the allure. It called me to sit right down on a rocking chair on the screened in patio and take it in. I then headed back to town to the train depot where he had his campaign headquarters. The decision to open the office there was easy as it was the only place in town with an inside bathroom. I then got my fried peanuts and peanut butter ice cream from a local shop. A few stories were shared with a shop owner of every kind of political material you could imagine. He had more stories than you can shake a stick at. I kept slowly backing away until my heels were at the door when he finished his sentence in order to take a breath. I quickly said Thank You so much and exited before he could jump back in. He would not understand my silent retreat – ha.

Then onto the old High School that has been turned into a museum. Another wonderful setting to soak up the story of this place and the Carter family. Again, I was the only one there. Sitting in the middle of the old school auditorium and watching a documentary film felt a bit nostalgic. So much human good came from their lives.

In President Carter’s words: “My faith demands that I do whatever I can wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try and make a difference.” A life of service is the abundant life that we are called to.

I then ventured out to Andersonville. This is the memorial site of the largest POW encampment in American History. Over 45,000 Union soldiers were held there, with over 13,000 dying in this encampment over 14 months during the Civil War. Not only is there a Civil War museum and national cemetery here, they have built a museum to tell the story of all POW’s. Their two video films, their two driving audio tours, and the museum itself left me in stunned silence. Again, I was the only one here. I did not know of this place or of this story until today.

Driving across the highway into the small Civil War Village of Andersonville, where monuments were built to share the story of Confederate generals, kept the heart and soul tensions of all the varied stories of this life in the air.

I was deeply moved by the story of Clara Barton. She was a self-taught nurse who was known as the American Nightingale and the Angel of the Battlefield for her dedicated service during the Civil War. She volunteered her services throughout the war in places including Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Charleston, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. After the war, she ran the Office of Missing Soldiers for four years which including spending time in Andersonville. She founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and served as the organization’s president for 23 years.

Her quote: “I have an almost complete disregard of precedent, and a faith in the possibility of something better.”

I am grateful for her living witness amongst us still today.

We live – we learn – and if we are listening – are transformed by the experiences and stories of others.

On the drive there, I also passed the monument that celebrates the first solo flight for Charles Lindbergh. Who knew? Not me. I just showed up in this rural county of southern GA and all of this is available to learn from. Amazing.

It makes me wonder just how much all of this local history impacted and shaped the servant leadership of those raised up from here. Each leader speaking to the hearts of humanity for: peace and no more war – safe places to call home and create community – love for all versus love for just a few – dreams of a better future.

Koinonia Farm, Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, and and and….what are we creating for the betterment of humanity?

This Silent Day Retreat gave me much to meditate on.

Let us have Peace through Service.