I love living in Austin. Being a progressive pastor and activist has permitted me to be a fly on the wall in proximity to some remarkable people, not the least of which are the Rathers.
I recently saw the Documentary “Rather” which gives a glimpse into the career of journalist Dan Rather. Watching “Rather” I realized that the title probably should be in the plural because ALL the Rathers were vital elements of the story.
Living in Austin has allowed me to cross paths with the Rathers. Meeting Dan I was struck by his humility. Dan Rather has been a witness to history like few others. Dan took us nearer to the Kennedy assassination, behind the headlines of the Viet Nam War and into the chaos of the Chicago Democratic Convention. Still, Dan likes to quote Edward R. Murrow saying that his opinion “isn’t worth any more than the guy at the end of the bar.” Looking back at his own life, the journalist is as forthright about his mistakes as his successes.
Robin told me that Dan kept a Bible on his desk through all the tumultuous events of his career. His faith was always that the truth would set us free if we can muster the courage of our convictions.
And when I say Dan loves our nation, it seems to me he loves those ideals to which our nation has aspired but has never come close to reaching. The soundtrack of his patriotism is Ray Charles singing with sadness and with hope: “America, America may God thy gold refine. Til all success be nobleness, And every gain divine.”
As I say, watching the documentary I was powerfully struck by how central Dan’s whole family was to his story. Dan has lived his life in the limelight, but his family has been the oasis that made his journey possible. Meeting the family you can tell you they are all prophets just as equally in their own way.
Daughter Robin is a local activist extraordinaire. It seems to me Robin has the temperament of a Quaker or a Buddhist priestess. Still, she, understands that those who seek peace must struggle even more intensely than those who bring violence and destruction to our world.
An article in a local magazine quoted Robin as saying, “I literally wish we never had to fight, because I don’t enjoy it at all. I’m just wired for oneness. But for the greater good, sometimes you have to warrior up and fight back.” Thus, Robin struggles at the local level on behalf of all the earth and all its people.
Dan’s wife Jean is an artist. She served on the New York Art Commission for either years. Jean honors all human art starting with cave art. Like Dan, Jean is a witness to the world, but her gift is to see the hidden beauty and goodness even in the ugliest of circumstances. Jean and Dan’s home is filled with beautiful art which I’m sure provided a him a respite from the brutal realities he was witnessing.
In some ways, the center of the family is Dan’s grandson Andy. To Dan and Jean, Andy is their heart’s treasure and am ambassador of their hopes for a better world. In the article I mentioned earlier, Robin says, “Look, I’ve done the money thing, the fame thing, and power thing, but nothing, nothing compares to being Andy’s mom.”
Like I say, the documentary was called “Rather,” but Dan’s story would be unthinkable without ALL the Rathers. The documentary spends almost as much time on Dan’s mistakes as his successes. But. We all make makes. We all fall short. Dan Rather is not an exception to that rule. I think the documentary is saying that even when we cannot do things perfectly, even when we face a hostile world, love allows us to do together what we cannot do alone. It is love that allows our frightened species to limp through history’s darkest midnights and yet still be filled with light.