A Tweeting Mentor

 I enjoy starting the day reading the News Journal Newspaper, which for the past one hundred and thirty-five years has informed readers of local stories, like today’s about a pygmy sperm whale stranded on Daytona Beach, the Life Tree Café’s latest speaker program; “How to Live Before You Die,” and, a national effort by the Congregational Church to digitize church records on-line free. Also of interest; The World Meteorological Organization is retiring four hurricane names, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate and someone wrote to “Ask the Doctors” How strong is the connection between heart disease and noise pollution? Can you guess?

Although a discussion about living before you die intrigues me, the scheduled date presents a conflict. However, Shayne Lopper’s spiritual column, “What to look for in a mentor?” gives me thought.

Lopper, pastor of Lockwood Community Church in Branch County Michigan, talks about his mentoring relationship with Kenneth West who was seventy when they met. At the time, Lopper was a new pastor in his twenties, but carries the wisdom imparted to him still and willingly shares the wisdom with readers.

He talks about his mentor with admiration saying, “I didn’t just want to learn from him; I wanted to be like him,” that West “ did this by showing me that it is possible to firmly believe something without insisting everyone else believe it,” and “I learned how to disagree with others without disparaging them.”

That is when Kanye West’s name pops up on The CBS Morning Show and his tweet calling Donald Trump his brother accompanied by the announcement of  lost Twitter followers (later reported as fake news) open for discussion.

I look up from the newspaper  to see  pictures of a smiling Donald Trump and hear the rest of Kanye’s tweet, ” I love everyone. I don’t agree with everything anyone does. That’s what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought,” and wonder if he is familiar with Pastor Lopper.

Kanye made his point in a follow up tweet, “If your friend jumps off the bridge you don’t have to do the same. Ye being Ye is a fight for you to be you. For people In my life the idea of Trump is pretty much a 50 50 split but I don’t tell a Hillary supporter not to support Hillary
I love Hillary too.”

Although the ruckus continues, perhaps Kanye is taking Kenneth West’s lead demonstrating how to disagree with others without disparaging them.

.  .  .  . Just saying