“The God Squad”

      “A nun and pastor and a rabbi walk into a…” That’s how a joke starts but it was also the first of four courses given at our Life-Long Learning Institute by Sister Jeanne Cashman, Pastor David Mueller and yours truly. Of course, when we introduced ourselves – and subsequently as well – we referred to ourselves as “Rabbi Jeanne,” “Sister Dave,” and “Pastor Pete.” That’s the kind of relationship we’ve had over the past four-plus decades. And in truth, people flock to our classes more because of our back-and-forth inanities than for the wisdom we dole out.

   We met in a strange way…befitting what was to come…and while I believe I mentioned this before (refer to the My (Occasional) Word! article of April 27), I’ll write it again.

   There was anti-Catholic graffiti on the wall of a downtown Wilmington building. Five of us, four Christian ministers and a rabbi, whitewashed the travesty from the wall. The newspaper got wind of it and a reporter wrote a story with our photo. The ministers’ names were David, David, David and David…all four of them. The rabbi’s name was, well, Peter. That was enough for people to have a hearty laugh.

   Sister Jeanne had been working for the Catholic diocese and wrote us letters of appreciation. Anyway, she and the two of us became friends. Not only have we taught together, but we also worked on other social action projects, enjoyed each other’s company along with our wives, and attended many of the rites-of-passage of our children and each other: B’nai Mitzvah; years as pastor; nun and rabbi; weddings, etc. Now Sister Jeanne – excuse me, “Rabbi Jeanne” – left the community for her Order’s home outside NYC as she cannot live by herself anymore.

   I’m thinking about the three of us as yesterday I spoke at the church in which Dave is the interim pastor (he retired four years before I did…see, we just can’t quit!). My sermon was an adaptation of the one I delivered for Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. Afterwards he and his wife and Suzy and I went for lunch and had a great time as usual.

   It’s not the first time I spoke in his church. Before his retirement I addressed his congregation. I was told I made history: it was not only the first time a rabbi spoke from their pulpit, but it was the first time anyone other than a Lutheran spoke from their pulpit! His was a church of a strict conservative synod but he and his congregants were far from strict. As a matter of fact, he once – no, more than once – told his people, “If God wanted us to vote Republican, Jesus would have entered Jerusalem on an elephant, not a donkey!” 

   My friend wrote about my presence in his church and our interfaith tours to Israel for their national newsletter. He received some pretty nasty responses, but he also got a letter from the late Senator Paul Simon (the other Paul Simon) of Illinois, also a Lutheran, who praised him for doing what all Lutherans, all Christians in fact, should be doing.

   After so many years in one community, it’s good to have true friends from various faiths, races, etc. with whom you can shoot the breeze as well as “talk turkey,” as the phrase goes.