Almost heaven, Southwest Virginia

During the recent Democrat Party primary campaign season, Hillary Clinton was running up the score on Barack Obama in parts of Southern Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and all parts of the abutting Appalachian Trail. Those white people could not relate to that black guy with the funny sounding African name. Over zealous media bloviators described the citizens of this region as salt-of-the-earth red, white and blue Americans - red neck, white trash and blue collar.

Not so fast - hold on a minute! Over the years, I've come to learn and appreciate a different story especially about the good mountain people of Southwest Virginia - the Diocese of - that is. For over thirty years, the hard working mountain people of the Diocese of Southwest Virginia have been in partnership with The Sudan. That relationship started long before church activists including me heeded the call of Bishop Heath Light to march for workers' rights against the Peabody Coal Mining Company. That was even decades before Darfur became the cause du jour and it was cool. These good folk have prayed together and supported one another mostly sight unseen for thirty years so let's not use that intolerant red, white and blue paint brush so fast.

Bishop Neff Powell has been nurturing the partnership over the years in a diocese where turning inward and focusing on at home needs could have been the path of least resistance. Last year when I was in the diocesan offices, I noticed an adopt-a-day chart where individuals, organizations and congregations were being asked to sign up for a day to cover the daily operating deficit of the diocese. Even in the face of those struggles, the good mountain people fulfilled their commitment to The Sudan.

At yesterday's hearing on the third document of the Windsor Continuation Group, the Archbishop of The Sudan spoke again offering a not too helpful clarification on his earlier statement condemning the American Church. After back pedaling around, the condemnation stood.

I know how Archbishop Deng-Bul's words will play in Peoria but I can't imagine how they will be received in Roanoke. Is his condemnation of the American Church reverberating in the hills and hollers of Southwest Virginia? How did his friends receive those words? Words are powerful even in this little slice of heaven known as Southwest Virginia.