Mark, Garrison and Sanders

Sanders showing me which mushrooms NOT to pick and eat

Seems like every generation has a great story teller. Mark Twain is someone that comes to mind.

And Will Rogers.

And Garrison Keillor.

And Sanders Thornburgh.

OK, so maybe you’ve never heard about Sanders. If you’ve spent any time at Koinonia though, you’ve heard about Sanders.

He and his family have lived here on the farm for about 12 years. Don’t tell him I said this, but he kind of strikes me as being an old “Dead Head” who is settling down some in life…maybe I should’ve said “former” Dead Head. Don’t tell him I called him old either.

A place like Koinonia is going to have some characters that come along. And it needs to have someone that can remember the stories and pass them on to future generations.

Sanders is that someone. While I haven’t been here all that long, some of the best memories I’m making is sitting around a bonfire listening to Sanders tell some of his stories.

The gay, hunch-backed Swede.

The guy who thought he was doing God’s work by burning the Mennonite hymnals.

The garden co-ordinator who would run around in short shorts, sandals and not much else.

When Sanders gets rolling and the stories start flowing, you’re transported back to another time and place at Koinonia. A time when life was simpler.

But the value of listening to his story telling is more than just a form of entertainment. It helps each of us become connected to the history of the farm. They show us how we fit into the overall picture of this place. His stories help give us a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves…something that was here before we showed up and will be here long after we’re gone.

So come to the farm and let’s do a bonfire. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Sanders will be there to share some of his memories.

Who knows…in about 15 years you’ll be sitting around the campfire with Sanders. He’ll start another story with, “Let me tell you about this guy who came through here on a bicycle…”