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As American As...

  • Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline
  • 2 hours ago
  • 2 min read
Vintage baseball player signs autographs for cheering kids over a green railing, with the blog title, "As American As..." next to the Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church logo.

With the United States of America turning 250 in the not-too-distant future, it is natural to be thinking about the nature of America.


And there is almost no better example of Americana than the painter Norman Rockwell.


Rockwell’s art graced the cover of the Saturday Evening Post for decades and his art has left an indelible impact on our self-conception as a country. Just looking at his paintings calls to mind a simpler time, when America was uncomplicated and wholesome.


Baseball player in white uniform poses by a green fence while smiling fans lean over it; Norman Rockwell signature at bottom.

Baseball!


Family gathered around a Thanksgiving table as an elderly woman serves a turkey; poster reads, "Ours... to fight for" and "Freedom from Want."

Family Dinners!


A patriotic family stands beneath an American flag, children saluting in a vintage painted scene.

The American Flag!


Rosie the Riveter-style woman in overalls and goggles eats a sandwich against a waving American flag, Norman Rockwell text in small print on the image.

Rosie the Gosh Darn Riveter!


Talk about some Americana. It’s hard to get more quintessentially American  than Rosie the Riveter. I tell you what, Rockwell was really onto something. He was just so good at portraying a simpler time when  things were -


A young African American girl in white dress walks past suited men with yellow armbands against a wall; tense Norman Rockwell scene.

Wait! Don’t interrupt me. I don’t know how that photo got in there. Now as I was saying…


Norman Rockwell painted pictures of a simpler America, an  innocent and lovi-


Sepia painting of a man standing over another figure, with a body on the ground; Norman Rockwell Museum text below.

Wait, could it be? I thought Norman Rockwell was known for distilling what it means to be American. What if gasp part of being an American means that we need to reckon with those parts of our history that we don’t want to remember.


As America approaches our 250th trip around the sun, we need to be sure that the story we’re telling is not just the story that we wish we could tell, but the story that needs to be told. Because segregation was (and still is) a real part of our history. Lynchings were (and still are) a very real problem that we faced.


These things are as American as apple pie and baseball. They are part of our story and Norman Rockwell does us a favor by forcing us to remember that. But there’s one more painting that I think best tells the story of America. Not necessarily the America-that-has-been or even the America-that-is, but rather the America-as-it-could-be. This painting, the Golden Rule, is a beautiful portrait of an America that does not exist, but might; an America that we need to work towards; an America that lives into the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence that were perfectly written and imperfectly embodied.


Diverse children and adults in a Norman Rockwell-style painting, with gold text: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."


Peace,

Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline



At Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, we seek to be a community where difficult conversations can be held with grace, where faith inspires action, and where all people are welcomed and valued. If you're looking for a church home or a place to explore life's big questions, we invite you to join us for worship on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at 1200 S. Winton Road, Rochester, NY 14618. To learn more, visit our website, call us at 585-244-8585, or send us an email. We'd love to connect with you.

 
 
 

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