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www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
THE LAND — NOVEMBER 26/DECEMBER 3, 2021
Christians remain true in the button jar of life “And then when something old needed a uncles and cousins; along with a large new button, or when something newlyphotograph of my grandparents in their made needed a set of buttons, the button classic “church directory” pose. On the box provided. Grandma’s button box was lower portion were sagging bookshelves an old shoe box, better than half full of containing a myriad of books, games, buttons of all sorts. It was a pleasure just magazines, newspapers and telephone to run your fingers through, like running books. On the right there was a small your fingers through a bucket of shelled bathroom and a tiny closet with sliding corn.” doors constructed of plywood. In that DEEP ROOTS closet was a vacuum cleaner; and on the “Andy Catlett Early Travels” top shelf there was an old glass jar (with By Whitney Nesse by Wendell Berry half of a Miracle Whip label still stuck to A dimly lit, narrow hallway led from a spacious it) that contained my grandmother’s buttons. living room into a bedroom. On the left, lining the I loved getting out the button jar, dumping out all upper part of the wood grain wainscoted wall was a of its contents and looking at the buttons. There telephone and dozens of photographs of my aunts, were hundreds of buttons, all of different sizes, shapes, colors and textures. Some were plastic, some glass, and some wood. Some had a smooth, pearly sheen and some were rough and sandpaper like. I would sort them into piles by color or size or by the number of thread holes. At some point, I am sure that I tried to count them, finding that they were too numerous for a youngster to keep track of. I specifically remember two buttons. One of the two was a half-dollar sized, very 1970’s flair, flower. It was a coat button with a single shank hole and had a rough texture. It looked like a daisy, with white petals and a pink center. I do not particularly recall thinking it was very beautiful or glamorous. In fact, I remember thinking that it was ugly! But it always caught my eye and I was able to sort it out of the rest of the buttons quickly. The other button I remember was a brown coat button which resembled a root beer barrel. Maybe it was the likeness to the hard candy that caused the button to catch my eye, maybe not. But it always seemed to surface rather quickly. I believe that brown button came off of a gray tweed suit coat my grandpa wore. Every button in my grandma’s button jar was just that … a button. They all commingled in the same
space at the same time, but there were two that stood out to me. They were both buttons; but they possessed different qualities, a different representation. They were not like the rest. For the last number of weeks I have been studying with a group of women as to how people of the Christian faith can best engage with the culture when faith and culture collide. What I am finding, as I study the letters from the Apostle Paul to the Colossian church and to Titus is that, as followers of Christ, we can engage with the world and actively participate in our faith. As people who have heard and accepted the simple Gospel of Christ, we do not have to run from the cultures of the world nor do we have to embrace all of the cultural practices. As Christians, we are a walking representation of the Gospel. As we mature in our personal relationship with the Lord, we will approach life differently. We see Jesus exemplify this throughout His ministry. Jesus was fully engaging with the culture when He was celebrating a wedding in John chapter 2. In John chapter 3, Jesus met with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. It was there He participated in an intriguing conversation, engaging with the cultural and religious norms — yet firmly upholding the truth. We never saw Jesus conform to the culture when the culture misrepresented the truth. Rather, we saw Him as the walking representation of the Gospel and engaging with the culture. Jesus was a human being — yet unlike any human being who had ever walked the earth. As Christians, to engage with the culture, we must engage with the culture as individuals who are actively participating in our faith. As people who are walking representations of the Gospel, we will approach life differently and possess different qualities — just like those two buttons in my grandma’s button jar: commingled yet outstanding. Whitney Nesse is a sixth-generation livestock farmer who is deeply rooted in her faith and family. She writes from her central Minnesota farm. v
Klossner is true dairy ambassador A prolific writer, Klossner has served the local newspaper as writer, photographer and later editor dairy judging contest, and the Dairy Showcase, but for 27 years. Although she retired 10 years ago, she the dairy and meat goat shows, the sheep show, the proudly proclaims, “I flunked retirement in just a poultry show, the general livestock judging contest, month” and has kept busy with organizations and and the lama show. publications since then. Klossner has been the announcer of the Nicollet In a time when media-bashing is a popular sport, County 4-H, open class and FFA shows for many Klossner has forged an iron-clad reputation as a fair years. She has been a member of the county fair and talented journalist. Congratulations, Ruth. It is board, president and secretary of the county recognition well deserved. Holstein association. Klossner is involved in the Paul Malchow is the managing editor of The Land. Lafayette Lions Club, New Ulm Farm-City Hub He may be reached at editor@TheLandOnline.com. v Club, Connecting Nicollet County, Nicollet American Legion Auxiliary, and Bernadotte Lutheran Church/ Fields of Grace Parish. LAND MINDS, from pg. 2
