My wife was born and reared in West Virginia (on the Ohio River) and Bishop Campbell of blessed memory was a family friend. I've passed this along to my wife's e-maill address with gratitude.
Here's a story about Bishop Campbell who, by the way, sent me to seminary. On the day of his retirement at a diocesan convention -- it was during the peak popularity of the John Denver song and the state had made a line from the song as the its mantra on billboards at the border: "West Virginia. Almost Heaven."
Well, somewhere near the end of BIshop Campbell's remarks that day he left no eye dry when he said he looked with faith toward that day when the Lord called him home. His words were something like this (I'm afraid I don't remember the exact words, so no quotation marks here): I can just see it now, that sign there near the Pearly Gates: "Heaven. Almost West Virginia."
I always thought that the Blue Ridge Mountain and Shenandoah River references indicated that this was about west Virginia, not West Virginia. I know those geographic features touch both states (at least the River does). Of course, for those of us of traditional bent, the wayward western counties withdrew precipitously at a time of passionate bad feelings fanned by hotheads on both sides of the issue. When things cool off a bit, the Commonwealth will once again find its natural borders on the far shore of the Ohio River.
5 comments:
Thanks, BB.
My wife was born and reared in West Virginia (on the Ohio River) and Bishop Campbell of blessed memory was a family friend. I've passed this along to my wife's e-maill address with gratitude.
Here's a story about Bishop Campbell who, by the way, sent me to seminary. On the day of his retirement at a diocesan convention -- it was during the peak popularity of the John Denver song and the state had made a line from the song as the its mantra on billboards at the border: "West Virginia. Almost Heaven."
Well, somewhere near the end of BIshop Campbell's remarks that day he left no eye dry when he said he looked with faith toward that day when the Lord called him home. His words were something like this (I'm afraid I don't remember the exact words, so no quotation marks here): I can just see it now, that sign there near the Pearly Gates: "Heaven. Almost West Virginia."
Thanks for bringing back the memory.
Larry Smith+
S'wonderful, BB. But are you sure that's John Denver?
John Denver was the composer but that is not him singing this particular arrangement. :)
bb
I always thought that the Blue Ridge Mountain and Shenandoah River references indicated that this was about west Virginia, not West Virginia. I know those geographic features touch both states (at least the River does). Of course, for those of us of traditional bent, the wayward western counties withdrew precipitously at a time of passionate bad feelings fanned by hotheads on both sides of the issue. When things cool off a bit, the Commonwealth will once again find its natural borders on the far shore of the Ohio River.
Scout
Oh Scout, that makes me chuckle! :)
bb
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