The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers

I have been reading like crazy lately, and last week stumbled upon this book at the local library. I remember watching Mister Rogers several times as a child, but when I revisited this guy and this show, I saw a lot of things that I never noticed before and gained a whole new respect for Fred Rogers aka "Mister Rogers."

The book is written by a woman Amy Hollingsworth who knew Rogers for many years and was greatly influenced by his faith in God. In a culture that was becoming more and more fast-paced, Mister Rogers strived to slow things down and to enjoy silence. In watching his show, this message is strongly conveyed. Hollingsworth points out elements of the show such as the flashing yellow light at the beginning of each episode and the methodical way Mister Rogers enters the room and goes through his routine of replacing a jacket with a cardigan and his shoes for sneakers. All of these reinforce Mister Rogers desire to slow down, spend time in silence, and most importantly in prayer. This is a lesson that I know I need to learn. Life can be so busy and hectic that I often overlook things that I may notice if I would just slow down a little.

Another very significant life lesson Mister Rogers was intent on passing on is what it means to truly view yourself and others in the way that God has created us, and to love your neighbor in a way which imitates the love of Christ.

I thought this book was very interesting and it was inspiring as well. Thinking about Mister Rogers' Neighborhood takes me back to being a kid again, and that is a very good place to be. The book closes with a quote from Mister Rogers himself when asked if he had one last chance to convey a message to his audience, "Well, I would want those who are listening somehow to know that they had unique value, that there isn't anybody in the whole world exactly like them and that there never has been and never will be. And that they are loved by the Person who created them, in a unique way. If they could know that and really know it and have it behind their eyes, they could look with those eyes on their neighbor and realize, 'My neighbor has unique value too; there's never been anybody in the whole world like my neighbor and there never will be.' If they could value that person--if they could love that person--in ways that we know that the Eternal loves us, then I would be very grateful" (161).