Brief Thoughts from Bren: Once Upon a Time There Was a Three-Year-Old Grandpa

“But eating together is a way of falling in love.” 

                                        –David Janzen

David Janzen, a longtime member of Reba Place Fellowship in Evanston, Illinois, and a cherished former member of Koinonia’s Board of Directors, is someone I deeply miss seeing since his rotation off the board. At Koinonia, table fellowship is a cornerstone of our community life. When I read these words, “Eating together is a way of falling in love,” in David’s newest book, they brought a smile to my face. I did fall in love with David through the countless meals we shared during his bi-annual visits for board meetings. 

Usually, I shy away from recommending books, given the wealth of authors Koinonia knows. But this month, I’m breaking my own rule. I wholeheartedly recommend David’s new book, Once Upon a Time There Was a Three-Year-Old Grandpa, published by our friends at Wipf & Stock Publishers.

In it, David reflects on how his Uncle Johnny understood something about “raising spiritually awake boys,” as the author put it. In a time when extended families lived on the same block or on nearby farms, Johnny spent one-on-one time with the boys of the family whether they were sons or nephews. He’d ask questions about what a farmer would need to know (David grew up on a farm). He’d hold his mentees responsible for learning what he was teaching them and exercised a work ethic many people don’t possess today. He’d share stories about life and have conversations about theology. David is one of the most spiritually awake individuals I’ve ever known. Uncle Johnny did a good job! David’s wit, wisdom, and holiness in person and in this book have the power to awaken the spirit of anyone who reads it. The book evokes nostalgia for the past while igniting a wonder about the present and future. It is a work brimming with hope. 

Reading it made me miss those shared meals with David, but it also deepened my gratitude for the many meals we share with all who come to Koinonia.