When we first began attending the First Presbyterian Church, almost twenty years ago, I noticed that during Holy Week there was a notation on the bulletin board regarding Maundy Thursday.  I had never seen the word Maundy before and thought it very curious.  Maundy means, “The Thursday before Easter is known as either Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday.  Maundy is derived from the Latin word for ‘command’ and refers to Jesus’ commandment to the disciples to ‘Love on another as I have loved you,” according to Greg Garrison.

Maundy Thursday is the commemoration of the Last Supper.  ‘And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one [Is] it I?  And another [said, Is] it I?  And he answered and said unto them, [It is] one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.  The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written for him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!  Good were it for that man if he had never been born.  And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake [it], and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.  And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave [it] to them: and they all drank of it.  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed  for many.  Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.’  Mark 14: 18-26   KJV

What an extraordinary command Jesus left his disciples of his day…and his disciples of today…with.  He instructed us to love each other as he has loved us.

This Last Supper directive would therefore apply to those Syrian babies that were killed by the brutal…inhuman Assad regime…that we avenged with fifty-nine scud missiles.  Perhaps it would be better if we allowed them and their parents into our Country…for the safe haven…that we claim we are based on?

Perhaps the homeless should receive shelter and food…rather than our assuring them that…we will pray for them?

Perhaps our Native American brothers and sisters should be considered and reverenced as the original Americans…and not abused and maligned and cavalierly ignored as to their heritage and rights?

Perhaps the African American should be exalted for their noble heritage and their dignity…and recognized for their extreme contribution to this country; rather than being persecuted and shunted aside in inner city poverty and profiled due to their skin color.

Jesus was a Jew.  He was not a milky white Anglo Saxon.

I love the Christian Faith…but it is more than a lovely story…its’ commandment regarding human relationships…are the core of the entire Faith.

I have been rather obsessed with the educational institution that I love.  SIU is something special to me…and it is always new…no matter how many times I walk the beautiful Campus.

Today, President Randy Dunn shared the G. K. Chesterton quote, that has been my talisman, with the Southern Illinois System,  in his Systems Connection Newsletter.

I like President Dunn and Chancellor Colwell.  Both of these leaders speak to me very naturally and sincerely.  I felt empathy for President Dunn at the last Board of Trustees meeting when several members of the Edwardsville Campus spoke very hurtful and disingenuous things regarding the Carbondale Campus.  I believe that President Dunn is doing his best to hold our Carbondale Campus together during the most financially critical time of our history.

We must pull together with these leaders to weather these stormy seas, and come out on the other side with a renewal of our former greatness.

As we  pledged our loyalty and fealty to our leaders…who want our success…we ask that we be kept on board the ship…even in a diminished manner…so that we may be part of the solution…that will surely need our expert…career dedication and support.

One more time…for good measure…” We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.”  G. K. Chesterton

You may have heard the term, ‘Speak Truth to Power,’ and wondered how a person would go about such an endeavor…and more importantly…why would you want to.

Without a doubt the concept of telling a powerful person a ‘truth’ that perhaps they do not want to hear, is daunting.  This fearsome task is compounded if you are employed by the agency that you want to speak the truth to.

According to the scriptures, Moses felt more than a little trepidation when God told him to go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘To Let My People Go!’

Dr. Martin Luther King, spoke truth to power when he proclaimed, ‘I have a dream.’  He also spoke truth to power when he was in the Birmingham jail.

President Delyte Morris spoke truth to power when he tirelessly proclaimed that there would be a University in Little Egypt.  A poor…hardscrabble land…of farms and coal fields.  Out of Dr. Morris’ determination came Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, Illinois.

Now our political leaders, not all of our politicians, have refused to compromise and come to a consensus on a state budget…which has crippled our state and imperiled our great University.

Now is the time to speak truth to power…and let our political leaders know that we cannot continue in this manner!  Soon…we will be consumed…by political expediency!

Former Chancellor Samuel Goldman said of me, that he had never met a person that was so willing to speak truth to power.  I was humbled by his kind remark.

I have experienced on countless occasions, when speaking with Chancellors and Presidents…that they are more than willing to listen to heartfelt concerns…as long as they are presented with a shared respect for our mutual humanity.

One of my favorite quotes is from the author G. K. Chesterton, ‘We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.’

After a rousing three day adventure in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, we found ourselves at the Aquarium.  Now, let me state that I have passed the Aquarium on numerous occasions through the years…and have never stopped in.  This marine museum is worth the visit!

To see the wonder of the amazing sea creatures that are members of our planet…is somewhat breathtaking.

The mystery and variety of the under water world is much like another planet…and the inhabitants…aliens.

There is a serene beauty in observing aquatic life.

It is humbling to come to the realization that many creatures share this blue orb called Earth…with us.

I read an article this morning by Maria Shriver regarding the value of Time.  Time is something that we think little about…until we contemplate that it may be running out.

When I was a child…I could not wait to be grown.  When I became a man…I could not wait to become successful…or at least what society told me was successful.

When I became successful…I anticipated with joy…my retirement.

Now that I am retired…I look with great longing to find identity with life.  What does it mean to be alive…with all of the joys…and all of the sorrows…that life brings?

My recent Gatlinburg visit with my brother Brock and My Sister-law-Marcy and my nephew Jeb and my niece Jamie…helped to teach me the value of our most valuable resource…Time…and how precious it is.

Do you think that God is a Capitalist?  Do you really believe that it matters to the Creator…who really acquired the most wealth?  Will the rich have the best seats in Heaven…and the poor be relegated to the Cheap seats?

The majesty of God’s Creation…and the uniting of Family…is a true miracle…and a key to his character!

A few days ago we had the privilege of spending some time with my brother Brock and his lovely family at Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  Although I have been to Gatlinburg probably thirty times in the past forty years…our time with the Brooks family was special.

Brock and Marcy are such wonderful people.  Have you ever met someone and felt like that you have been together for all of your life?  That is how we all feel about Brock and Marcy and Jeb and Jamie!

Do you see the family resemblance?  All of us have noticed the similarities shared between my brother and I.  Especially our affinity of hats!

Mary Jane and Marcy make me think that they are sisters rather than sisters-in-law.

I felt an immediate affection for my nephew Jeb and his sister Jamie.  They are such impressive outstanding people…I am honored to be their uncle!

I must explain at this point that Brock and I are long lost brothers.  My mother and father divorced when I was five years old.  I was not aware of Brock and his siblings…and mine…until 2012 when our sister Tammy contacted me.  I cannot think of a greater gift that I have been given than to have brothers and sisters…as I was raised an only child.

We enjoyed a lovely hike in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

This is a part of our Country that captivates my imagination!  We have considered moving to Gatlinburg on more than one occasion.

The Little Pigeon River holds continuing renewal for me.  I would like to have a cabin next to it.

Just the melodic sound that the Little Pigeon makes… will wash away all of your worries and cares.

We also saw a great waterfall.

We observed some blackened trees from the fire that plagued the area just a few short months ago.

We had the opportunity to participate in a Tasting of Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine in Gatlinburg.  It was wonderful!  We thus were compelled to purchase some to take back to the cabin in Pigeon Forge.  We throughly enjoyed this Smoky Mountain Original a week ago last Friday.  All worries…and pain…and suffering…was forgotten over board games and discussions regarding Global Warming.

Needless to say, this was a trip for the Journals and Record Books!  We so enjoyed being with the Brooks of Tennessee…that we want to replicate the experience soon and often!

Morgan is Jeb’s lovely and sweet girlfriend.

Jonathon enjoying a doughnut from the Doughnut Friar in Gatlinburg where he got a free cup of coffee for using their ATM.

I cannot express how meeting Brock and his family has influenced my life.  He and I are much alike and his family is my family.

A wonderful gift for a retired almost 60 year old…only child!

Tomorrow the Board of Trustees for Southern Illinois University will meet to discuss the abysmal budgetary mess that the state of Illinois has handed them by refusing to pass a Sate Budget of almost two years…and the belief that there probably will not be one for two more years due to the Republican Governor and the Democratic Legislature’s refusal to compromise in order to reach an agreement in the middle.

So the SIU Community is frightened.  Discussions and plans are transpiring regarding both lay-offs and outsourcing.  Several units in Plant and Service Operations have been highlighted in the Campus Non-Academic Review Committee Report for possible outsourcing.

I was a member of one of these units for my entire carer.  There has always been the innuendo and easy criticism that the Physical Plant folks waste time.  I recall on more than one occasion receiving complaints regarding my hard working staff that they were seen enjoying a cup of coffee or a sandwich…on their thirty minute lunch hour.  I would ask the concerned person…if they did not think that during an eight hour work block that even the janitor…should be allowed a few minutes to eat a sandwich?

One of the first occurrences of custodial bias that I encountered was in the Engineering and Technology building in the early 1980s when someone had written on the chalkboard, ‘Janitor, return my umbrella that you have stolen.’  The janitor that they were referring to was one of the hardest working people on our staff, who was well into her 60’s at that time, and who subsequently showed me her personal umbrella.

The common thought is that all Civil Service people are represented by a Union.  In fact hundreds are not.

When the massive remodeling project for Morris Library occurred, several years ago, Building Services Staff accomplished life threatening work in removing water from the roof and emptying it from the darkened eight story high edifice in construction conditions.  No one said, ‘not me,’ but rather there was a uniform concern and purpose to save the Libraries’ books and periodicals.

Have you ever watched your Grounds Staff remove snow and ice…in the middle of the night…in freezing…dangerous conditions…in order that their Campus can be open for business the next morning?

I literally have been personally involved in hundreds  of flood and fire restoration projects on our Campus.  The Building Services Staff and PSO Staff that are called out on these onerous jobs work many hours, often without a break, to restore the damaged areas…with an eye on reopening the water or fire damaged building…often the next day…to facilitate the mission of their University…the teaching of our precious students.

My friend Ryan is currently cleaning and in charge of Campus buildings much larger in square feet than Faner…this is an impossible task.  Yet, Ryan does this Herculean Task with a smile on his face…because he is a Saluki.

My friend Jamie is one of the most energetic…engaging…intelligent…appreciative for her SIU Opportunity…and she is deaf.

When Chancellor’s were fired…and fired….And fired…Civil Service Staff were on the job…serving students…being the Glue…that holds the institution together.

When you remove the Bedrock of our beloved University…collapse is to be expected.

The historic mission of Southern Illinois University was planted by former President Delyte Morris when he grew our Campus in the middle of a rural…farm land….And coal country…not unlike Appalachia.

SIU has always been a Beacon of Opportunity in Southern Illinois and in many ways has developed its’ unique personality by doing so.

We should think long and hard before we dismiss the Southern Illinoisans that have given their professional lives to be the…Glue that holds our Campus together.