My Last Column…

This is not really my last column.  More on that in a moment. 

I’ve been writing a column for church newsletters for forty-one years.  About ten years ago, Nancy Lee Zimpleman suggested we send the columns to the local paper, The Item.  A few other papers have picked up the columns since then. 

People often thank me for writing this column, and I never know what to say.  I enjoy writing.  I love telling stories, especially about growing up on the ranch and stories about working with cows.  Those seem to flow off my fingers quickly.  People often tell me those are their favorite stories, and then usually try to match my story with one of their own.  That’s fine by me, because I love hearing stories about real life. 

I loved telling stories about the old days, stories about my Mom and Dad, and my grandfathers, one the preacher and one the prodigal. I hope my grandsons will read those stories one day to better understand where they come from and who they are.  Like it or not, your forebearers define a good bit of who you are.  

Occasionally, I have written about politics.  The main message I’ve tried to convey is found in a verse from the Psalms: “Put not your trust in princes.”  The only one deserving our trust is Jesus Christ.  I believe we should pray for our government leaders, regardless of party.  But I have noticed whenever the church mixes politics and faith, faith usually comes in second. 

Every Christmas and Easter, I’ve tried to look at those stories through fresh eyes.  I’ve written short stories about people in the crowd while Jesus was going to the cross, about the centurion supervising the crucifixion, about the owner of the stable in Bethlehem, and about the angels announcing the good news of the birth of Jesus.  I generated unforeseen controversy when I pointed out Luke never said the angels sang.  Instead, it was more like a chant at a football game.  People insisted the angels sang because they had heard “Hark the Herald, angels sing…” every Christmas.  It was another case of the song trumping the scripture. 

I generated a great deal of controversy many years ago when I spoke about Jesus visiting Sumter at Christmas, looking into the homes of wealthy people, and weeping, because they had many possessions but lacked love.  Letters to the editor erupted, and messages were left on my phone telling me they hoped I would lose my job.  What interested me was in the same column I mentioned, Jesus being angry that churches had fine buildings but were not doing his work.  Not one pastor called me. 

The most controversy I stirred up was a column I wrote on abortion.  The point I was trying to make was that behind every abortion was a story, and we needed to love the people who had abortions and love the people who chose to have their babies.  There was a social media firestorm.  The more I tried to explain what I meant, the deeper I dug the hole.  It was a little frightening how mean people could be in the name of life. Boy, I wish I had worded things differently in that column. 

The most influential column I wrote was one on suicide.  I talked about people who commit suicide have lost their bearings: up seems like down and down seems like up.  I tried to assure people that how a person dies has no bearing on the amount of love God has for them.  That column went viral and spread around the world.  It received the most “hits” on The Item website that year.  I still get occasional requests to reprint it. 

There were many columns I didn’t write.  Some were on topics that I thought would be too explosive.  A couple of times, wise people in my life would look at what I wrote and beg me not to publish it.  All of us can be tone deaf about our own words.  Some columns I didn’t write were stories about my amazing, lovable grandsons.  I realize the mistakes I had made with my own children by telling too many stories about their childhood.  Grandchildren, even if adorable, deserve some privacy. 

My favorite column of all time was the story about my brother and the backhoe operator roping a steer and not tying it off to the hitch of the truck.  My brother and the operator were pinned against the truck, trying to hold onto the rope, when the steer finally escaped and headed north, with my brother’s brand-new rope still trailing him.  One of the reasons I miss my brother so much is that he was my best source of good material.   

When my retirement was announced, people in the community asked, “Are you still going to write your column?”  The answer is “yes” and “no.”  Yes, I will still write my column, but it will be posted on my website, wclaysmith.com. There may be some weeks I don’t write (because I hear the great thing about retirement is you get to set your own schedule), but most weeks I will.  I try to remember to post them on Facebook and Substack.   

I won’t be putting my columns in the paper anymore.  Why?  In a few weeks, Alice Drive will have a new pastor.  He will need room to be himself in this community.  John the Baptist once described it like this: “He must increase; I must decrease.”  Having a lower profile will benefit him. 

Before I go, I want to say thank you to all who have read my column through these years.  Thank you for your kind comments and your support.  You have been most gracious, and it means a great deal to me. 

Thank you to my wonderful wife, Gina, who has not only supported me as a pastor but as a community leader.  She has responded graciously to people who assume they knew a lot about her through my writings and who often think more highly of me than they ought. 

Finally, thanks be to God, who inspired the good columns and worked even in the mediocre ones.  These scribblings have shown once again that God can use anyone for his purpose and his glory. 

Thanks for reading all these years.  See you on the internet.