About 60 years ago, our family attended the Salvation Army’s Chicago Kedzie Avenue Corps (church). The pastor was Captain William Knowles, a.k.a. “Lefty,” a most charismatic man of diminutive stature, balding, and with a gold tooth that sparkled with his heart–winning smile. The corps had a fine band, and the building was filled for most services. On youth night, it would be dangerously overfilled; it was so crammed one evening that in the crush, I burned myself with a wood–burning pencil!
In those days, during every service, we had a time to stand up and testify to what the Lord had done for us. We recalcitrant youngsters, pressed by our Salvation Army officer–parents to participate, found clever ways to avoid really having to say much. One strategy was to sit all in a row and each pop up with a couple words from a song like: “He saves!” “He keeps!” “He satisfies!” “This wonderful friend” . . . and together, “of mine!” Approving smiles told us we’d accomplished our mission.
Attending every meeting was an ancient lady officer of equally archaic rank—Commandant Mary Parker. We knew little of her except that she had been around forever. She still wore the huge “coal–scuttle” uniform bonnet from the late 19th century. Her uniform tunic was thigh–length, her skirt to the floor, and her shoes were sensible! At testimony time, she was always first on her feet. She would face the congregation with her index finger pointed heavenward and say: “One hundred and one reasons to love Jesus (always the same beginning) . . . Number one: . . . ” As she got to about number 12 or 13 (always different reasons!), the captain would start a hymn and someone would help the old saint to her seat.
She always set off some good–natured chuckles. But today, I can’t recall anyone else who testified, nor one single word that was said! More to the point, now that I’m nearly as much an anachronism as the dear Commandant was then, and I’m no longer able to attend Army meetings, the thing I miss most is not the band, preaching, or hymns, but testimony times!
I do what I can to witness in the day–to–day traffic of life, and I believe I do pretty well. However, it was the ancient Commandant, a lifetime ago, who first branded me in the ways of witnessing for Christ. To paraphrase our Lord’s words (Matt. 5:16, KJV), “Let your light so shine that one of God’s children may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” Thank God that quaint old Commandant let her light shine!
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