PIE IN THE SKY or CURSE ON THE EARTH? - Chapter Thirty Four

SAM

We barely got seated when nearly all my cohort students wanted to share their discussions about Einstein’s letter, and their holiday vacations. Ella waved her hands and arms rather frantically, as if she were on fire, so I called on her.

“Boy, Sam, as my grandma Hunter would say, that letter you gave us stirred up quite a ‘bru-ha-ha’. All four of my grandparents came to our house on Christmas day, and boy, howdy, did we have a discussion. The Hunters are rather conservative Christians, and my Halorans are, I think, very loving and spiritual people, but not churchgoers. Anyway, when Grandpa Mark Haloran said, “I think Einstein’s letter could be a twenty-first-century letter written by Jesus - it is saying what Jesus said over two thousand years ago. Wow! Grandpa Hunter exploded. 

He called Jerry Haloran a fucking heretic who was headed straight to hell. He was really mad, and Grandma stood behind nodding her head.” Ella sat back and took a deep breath and continued, “Grandpa Mark kept his cool and said, ‘Well, Ed, I don’t think when Jesus met Peter, John, and the other fellows at the Sea of Galilei, he was carrying an assault rifle and telling them, ‘Follow me, or I’ll blow your fuckin’ brains out and send you to hell!’ “ Everyone was chuckling except my Hunter grandparents. Mark Haloran then added, ‘You believe the story that Jesus was the one and only son of god – a god who would create wonderfully loving beings who took centuries to develop and then tell them that He, God, was going to send them to hell – a damn place where they would burn up over and over again.’ Ella looked around to make sure everyone was listening. Everyone was enthralled, and she said, “This went on until, finally, Grandpa Ed Hunter said, ‘Well, Mark, your vision is just ‘pie in the sky’. Mark replied, ‘And yours is ‘a curse on the earth.”

Ella smiled and sat back in her chair. “That was really a great Christmas discussion, so thanks, Sam, for stirring up our families.” She told us that the Hunter grandparents left in a huff soon after.  Mom said she’d never invite them together again." I thanked her for standing by me, but felt a bit guilty for causing the uproar at their Christmas gathering. Everyone clapped for her.

I called on Dave first, as he seldom volunteered to do anything before anyone else. Dave began, “My dad really liked the idea of love being a force, but he didn’t think most humans knew about it or even cared. My mom liked it too, and she poked Dad in the ribs and said women were far more loving than men. And then they got into an argument, but it was a friendlier argument than usual. So, thanks for giving it to me.”

Chris went next, “My dad really liked the letter and said that we needed to nurture that love force within us, or we would all become robots. He fears that, even now, too many people are far too conformist. As you know, Sam, my dad Ozzi Stine, is very familiar with TWO THOUSAND SMILES SCHOOLS, and he thinks all schools should be like that. But he’s afraid that too many are still trying to get students to simply learn what someone else thinks. He agrees with Einstein’s opinion that imagination is more important than intellect because it demands creativity. If we, as humans, do not take control of what we are manufacturing and developing, we could be controlled by those who are conforming and want us all to follow them. But it was a great discussion, so thanks.”

Joe Jackson jumped in, “And we will be like my mom and continue to be fearful of life and of other people. She grew up in a state, I think it was Alabama, where there was a lot of segregation and hatefulness. She’s afraid that I’m getting too smart and that will make me like the teachers she had as a kid.  She is afraid of what she calls ‘all this new stuff.’ Would you come to our house and talk to her, if I can get her to invite you?”  I told him I would.

Evie said that her mom had been punished for making mistakes and just about anything that she did that was ‘unbecoming of a proper young lady.’ It took her a long time to become convinced that thinking for oneself was good. We have two of her sisters living with us now. I showed them Einstein’s letter, and they thought it was rubbish and pagan propaganda. So, mom and I really like it and believe we just must get people to think for themselves. I like Ella’s dad’s saying that rigid religion is a ‘curse on the earth’ and that our SMILES school is not ‘pie in the sky’.”

Maria thoughtfully said, “I like our Smiles school, and I think there is still a place for religion in our lives. I like our current pope and his predecessor, and I think they would like our school’s emphasis on connecting, kindness, and joy. So, I did not show the letter to anyone but an uncle who is a priest. He liked it, made a copy for himself, and thought I should keep it to myself around our family. So, I didn’t have much of a discussion in my family. In some ways, I believe I just need to accept that this is just my family’s way of thinking, and I love them all the same.” 

We all clapped for Maria, and I added, “I definitely agree with you, Maria, on the acceptance part. We can love others and still not agree with them on some or even many things. I have relatives who will not speak to me because, they say, I am too liberal. I’m leaving the door open for them and would like to connect, but I will not change how I teach in schools like Two Thousand Smiles just to please them. For too long, we have been indoctrinating our students instead of educating them. So, my fellow free thinkers, thank you for your touching efforts and your thoughtfulness.