Seven White Men Canonized As Great Leaders

This meme by Faith Over Fear Motivation, a pro-administration group, reminds me of this definition of canonization, "To place someone on a high pedestal, treating them as if they can do no wrong or praising them as a hero."

One of the marks of Christian nationalism is the elevation of people in power to a status of near reverence while ignoring the Bible's warning against placing undue trust in mere mortals. 

Jesus and the Hebrew prophets remind us that in God's upside-down empire it is those who are seen as lesser who are truly the greatest, as in, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but those who desire to become great among you, let them be your servants."

Here are just a few of a multitude of examples of everyday, extraordinary servants whose lives represent the kind of greatness unmatched by most people in positions of power.

Ruth Yoder Stauffer left her farm home near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the early '50's to enroll in Goshen College in Indiana to become a nurse, and never looked back. She spent her entire life in unselfish service as a nurse and a nursing instructor in places like Peru, Vietnam (during the height of the Vietnam War), and at Hesston College (KS). 

Laurence Sauder, a beloved member of our community for most of his adult life, made an indelible mark as a pastor, Bible teacher, and as the builder of many of the housing units in Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community's Park Village. We were privileged to be his and his wife Evelyn's neighbors for the last years of his fruitful and productive life. Laurence was one of the kindest people ever.

Rachel Stoltzfus and her husband Robert offered hospitality to scores of international students at nearby Eastern Mennonite University. As a young adult Rachel pictured herself as accepting  some foreign mission assignment, but instead had the world coming to her door, including during her many years as a widow. At her memorial service, people from far and near paid tribute to how they had been blessed by her kindness as a beloved "mom Rachel." 

Michael Cooley is someone I learned to know and appreciate as a pastor of a sister house church congregation near Edinburg. He gave up a lucrative career to pursue his passion, that of collaborating with farmers around the world in finding ways of increasing crop yields and easing hunger. He and his wife are currently doing amazing work through the Equipping Farmers International organization.