A Season of Hope

Front Royal’s own Reverend Dr. Mark Jordon recently delivered a sermon about how the best place to look for the birth of Christ is in the hearts and faces of those we encounter in our daily lives.  That, he argued, is the right way to combat the divisiveness that threatens not only our community but the world at large.  I believe we saw that dark force at play in our recent elections, where candidates launched attacks against each other because of their religion, schooling preference, and family members.  I doubt I am the only one who felt that this detracted from the sanctity of civic life.

With Dr. Jordan’s encouragement in mind, I accepted my supervisor’s invitation to meet with Tom McFadden, who will join the school board soon.  I will admit that I approached this meeting with a touch of apprehension, but I respected his willingness to work through whatever apprehension he may have also had.

Hearing Mr. McFadden’s questions, I believe he approached our meeting with an open mind and a willingness to listen.  He asked how he could help recruit and retain teachers.  He asked how he could highlight the positive activities occurring within the school system.  He offered his admiration for our schools’ efforts to serve students with disabilities – at no additional cost to families.  After the meeting, he thanked us for our time; he reached out to other staff members and thanked them for serving our community.

I do not believe that one conversation with a person allows you to “see their soul,” and I do not believe that Mr. McFadden and I would agree on every opinion or issue.  I do believe, however, that gestures of goodwill deserve to be seen as such and that they should encourage civil discourse.  We will face challenges and need to debate issues, but we must do so in a way that recognizes ourselves in each other.  He is Catholic, and I am Presbyterian – but we both have faith in God.  He attended public schools in Ireland, and I attended Warren County Public Schools, but we both believe in providing our community’s children with a good education.  We both love our wives and families dearly.

As citizens of a democratic republic, we will likely find ourselves at odds with each other on serious issues.  Mr. McFadden and I are equally capable of disappointing each other in the future.  Neither he nor I nor you know what the future holds for our community.

As Dr. Jordon said on Sunday, we must wait and see because SOMETHING is happening.  Is it the rot, bile, and vitriol that we saw during contentious moments during the election season, or is it the hope, goodwill, and fellowship that I believe I saw in this recent meeting?  Will we attack each other from a distance based on preconceived notions that might be inaccurate, or will we meet together and listen to each other’s points of view?

Zachary D. Logan
Warren County

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