Whose handprint on “Footprints”?
Most people are well familiar with the “Footprints” poem. This touching poetry describes a Christian noticing two sets of footprints in the sand as he walked with Jesus, only to discover there were times when only one set of footprints were outlined in the sand.
Dismayed, the person assumed Jesus had left him to walk alone, but he finds out that the one set of footprints belonged to Jesus as He carried the individual during the difficult times in his life.
Well two people are in federal court trying to get a judge to determine who is the author of that famous poem.
I’ve always seen the poetry attributed to an unknown author, but the Religion News Service recently reported that Basil Zangare of Shirley, N.Y., claims the poem was written by his late mother, Mary Stevenson, in the 1930s and that she registered it with the U.S. Copyright Office in the 1980s.
However, an evangelist named Margaret Fishback Powers, who lives in British Columbia, is the only one with a registered trademark for “Footprints” and “Footprints in the Sand,” according to her attorney.
At stake, I suppose, are product licensing profits, but perhaps it’s merely the right to say that the author that many of us previously thought unknown is … not.
– Carla Hinton
Sitting in the bleachers on Sunday morning
I’ve
found myself sitting in the bleachers on Sunday mornings more than I care to admit.
Twice since mid-May, I’ve missed church services due to my teen’s youth sports events.
I haven’t felt this guilty since … well, I haven’t felt this guilty in a long time …perhaps because I rarely miss worship services and don’t like my kids to miss either.
Then I read about the interreligious council of Hanover Township, N.J., which is calling for a ban on sports games on Sunday mornings. A story in Saturday’s religion section shares the council’s concerns as well as the thoughts of parents and town officials.
The issue is one I’m sure many parents and clergy can identify with.
What do you think about banning sports games on Sunday mornings? Have you ever missed church due to a sports game? Do you feel guilty when you attend your child’s Sunday sports game instead of church services? Are you a pastor who is concerned about this issue?
Tell us about it. Send an e-mail to chinton@oklahoman.com or write to Carla Hinton, c/o The Oklahoman,
. Please include your name, hometown and daytime phone number. Your comments may be used for a future story.
— Carla Hinton
