PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

March 11, 2025

EVERY COMMUNITY IS SPECIAL

                I am in the process of reading through Colin Dexter’s thirteen Inspector Morse mysteries.  For a number of years I have enjoyed public television’s adaptation of the series starring John Thaw as Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as his partner Sergeant Lewis.

When Diane and I were in Oxford, England, the setting for the Morse mysteries, near the Martyr’s Memorial our tour guide pointed out the Randolph Hotel which was used for some of the scenes from the Inspector More series.  Fans of the mystery flock to Oxford to take in the ambiance of the lair of their favorite detective.  Some make a point of eating at the Randolph’s restaurant.

Suppose for a moment an author should develop a series of mysteries featuring Father Hamlin, an Episcopal priest who lives in a town very similar to Plymouth, Indiana.  An important part of the series would be a coffee shop where the priest can be found at least once a day.

Possibilities for story lines would seem to be almost endless.  Take the unusual discovery made along one of the town’s trails.  Or who was that stranger who came to help with the construction of the children’s playground in the park?  Then there is the mysterious burial site found while working on the new park by the river.  The yearly influx of thousands of people for Blueberry Festival would provide ready source for possible adventures.

Within ten years, not only would the series have a national following, but an international one.  Each year would see an increasing number of fans coming to Plymouth in inhale the ambiance of Father Hamlin.  Most would want to make sure to stop at the coffee shop he was said to frequent and have a look at the Episcopal Church where he might possibly have been the priest.

While people were visiting Plymouth, they would also be interested in learning about the town’s history, local points of interest, local heroes and characters.  For people coming from Oxford, Plymouth, Indiana, would be a point of fascination.

When Diane and I were in Oxford, we made a point of having lunch at one of the local restaurants.  While we were eating, someone asked us why we had chosen this particular place to eat.  Why had we not chosen one of the more fancy ones?  They did not see it as any big deal.  They could not imagine why we found it so interesting.

I suspect if the above scenario should happen to come true, visitors from Oxford to the coffee shop in Plymouth might experience a similar reaction to the one Diane and I encountered in Oxford.

Behind Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is an old story of a young man who leaves home to find his pot of gold.  In the end he discovers that what he seeks is to be found at home.  In Jesus’ parable the young man comes to himself and returns to his father while his older brother who remains at home never quite gets the point.

Over the almost six years that I have lived in Plymouth, I have found it to be an interesting place with many different currents and levels of culture and organization.  Each new day has its own surprises.  I am especially caught by the diversity of people I have met.  Each of them has his or her unique story to tell.

What I have found true for Plymouth, I have found true for every place where I have lived.  Each community has its own stories to tell and its people whose lives are diverse and varied.  To discover what makes a community special one just needs the ears to hear and the eyes to see.

(This article was originally published March 11, 2012.  Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)