Faith: Thinking of an Idaho family’s generous, gracious spirit during COVID-19 crisis

People not wearing masks yell at and assault those who are wearing them. An acquaintance in another state voted under the eye of some self-appointed armed “militia,” and was asked how she voted. In Michigan, plans were foiled to abduct a sitting governor.

This feels like a time of division, name-calling, injustice and general chaos of being. We all teeter on the edge of isolation and despair.

Perhaps it can help each of us to look to our friends who champion and embody very different values: unity, respect, heart’s truth and being soul-centered. Maybe we can be inspired to move toward acceptance rather than negative judgment; maybe we can understand that peace can be found among threatening differences.

I am thinking of Ellie and Dick McKinnon, and their family.

Ellie is a writer who recently published an article in the Idaho Press that made me smile. A friend of hers had some unused, irrigated pasture on her ranch, and she conceived of transforming it into garden space for refugees. After some impressive work and a few glitches along the way (like accidentally plowing a cellphone into the field!), voilá! The vision is made real.

“… In the quiet of a Treasure Valley pasture, a counterbalance to threat and chaos is quietly stepping onto the scale … a handful of people are looking beyond differences, beyond the pandemic, beyond politics – and agreeing to work together to create something admirably new and definitely positive.”

Then there was Dick, who died 20 years ago. I still miss him very much. He was a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Boise State University was his ward, and he brought love, humor and big doses of common sense to the students of his faith. He was an artist. He was funny and kind and loyal and generous of spirit, willing to assume good intent on the part of others.

He listened better than most people I have known. I remember once, my then-10-year-old stepdaughter was upset because Dick and Ellie and I had taken a walk, leaving her in the house, thinking she knew. When we returned, she was scared and mad. He immediately sat down with her, looked her kindly in the eye and listened. He said very little, but she simply opened up under his kindly, respectful attention.

Dick’s great legacy — besides his four children, who are great — might be a simple poster he created. The graphics are a rainbow arching over words, the rainbow firmly anchored in the fabled pot of gold. The message:

If your friends are

White and of color,

Disabled and able,

Female and male,

Young and old,

Gay and straight,

Believers and non-believers

Single and married,

American and international ...

Different from you —

You’ve already found the pot of gold.

Dick’s generous, embracing values can bring light to us. How great it will be if Ellie and her friend’s pasture garden inspires us to our own peaceful projects. I am grateful for the example of dear friends — faithful, creative, open-hearted.