Look for the helpers!
When Fred Rogers was a boy, he was a "sickly, chubby boy" whose classmates called him "fat Freddy" and chased him home from school, according to Maxwell King's new biography of Mister Rogers, The Good Neighbor.
His mother was well known around town for her extraordinary kindness and generosity, and was a model for Fred. "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me: 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping,' Rogers recalled. "To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."
"The Joyful Noiseletter is packed with funny religious stories, plus a page of cartoons, that offer some of the choicest pickings for the pulpit, church bulletins, or dinner table fare."
— George W Cornell
Religious Editor, The Associated Press
Rogers was deeply religious, committed to his mother's Presbyterian faith, and later became an ordained Presbyterian minister. He also became a vegetarian. "I don't want to eat anything that has a mother," he explained.
A friend in Rogers' church said: "What would Christ be like? He would be like Fred. He would encourage you to do things that were right and would help other people."
©2024 the Joyful Noiseletter. All Rights Reserved
Articles
The Gospel according to Erma Bombeck
Abe Lincoln's sanity saved by his humor
A laugh a day keeps the psychiatrist away
God's kids say & do the funniest things
Will Rogers - America's greatest journalist?
Christian Civil War? A Joyful Jesus or a Sad Jesus?
After the Winter, God sends the Spring
The Holy Ghostwriter: Unpraiseworthy Band
Pastor lifts congregation's spirits
An old Orthodox prayer to end an unorthodox war
IT'S A MIRACLE! A health and diet book with a spiritual focus
A New Year's prayer to end all epidemics
The healing power and joy of forgiveness
The Holy Ghostwriter: First Christmas News Reports
The Gospel according to Erma Bombeck
GESUNDHEIT! What we all can learn from Tom Brady, 'St. GOAT'
Is the Press Sleeping on the Job? Beyond Pesticides & the rise of interest in organic foods
IN THE MARRY MONTH OF JUNE - The funny side of weddings and marriages
'St. Mugg's' resurrection: 'Laughter is God's therapy'
An Easter Reflection: Where did the Pharaohs go?
Whatever happened to 'good works'?
185,000 members spread Joygerms worldwide
What the news media didn't tell you about pandemics
Patch Adams calls for 'a revolution of loving'
Messianic Jewish wit full of one-liners
Celebrating JN's 35th Anniversary
Why not invite brains to the coronavirus press briefings?
Groucho Marx mask befuddles coronavirus
A 'Resurrection Day' for healed parishioners?
'March of Prayer' is 'March Gladness'
| Shopping Cart |
| Cart is empty |
You can subscribe to the printed or electronic version of JN by:
- using our secure online store.
1 Year Subscription or Renewal — $29.00
1 Year Gift Subscription — $29.00
- filling out the Printable Order Form and mailing it, along with your check for $29, to The Joyful Noiseletter, PO Box 895, Portage, MI 49081-0895 (foreign printed subscribers add $10).
- calling TOLL-FREE, 1-800-877-2757, and using VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.