How Dolly Parton Is Reminding Us What The Kingdom Looks Like
The past few years I have watched Dolly Parton with what can only be described as giggles of joy.
Dolly Parton was not part of my growing up though we all knew about her. Her glitz and glam and colorful life choices were in and out of headlines. But the last decade or two is perhaps the time she has truly shined.
A few years ago, I learned about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. In honour of her father who was illiterate, Dolly began a charity to address early literacy issues in her home county and it has now spread to 5 countries. The Imagination Library mails children one book a month from birth to kindergarten. That’s 60 free, high quality books to disadvantaged and poor kids. Almost $1000 worth of books per child.
The organization now mails over 1 million books a month to poor and struggling families and has sent over 150 million books since 1995.
This past week, it was announced that Dolly Parton would pay the full tuition, fees, and books for the employees of Dollywood theme park. The 11 000 employees now have the opportunity to choose better futures for themselves and their families without the weight of debt. Many degrees will be completely covered and others will be partially covered.
It’s hard not to get excited about these kinds of gestures and programs. This attempt to target fundamental problems in our world by giving the gift of reading and education, relieving crushing debt, and creating brighter futures is just so beautiful.
And she does it all with such joy.
Over the past few months, my daughter has been memorizing sections of the Sermon on the Mount for school. We have been going over the verses again and again, all week, month after month.
As I have listened to Jesus explanation of the Kingdom of God being repeated and repeated to me by my sweet kid, I have ached for this reality to come. For all of us to live in the shalom of the Kingdom of God.
The Sermon on the Mount is a vision of an upside down world where God reigns. It looks a little like people not having to worry about money or where food will come from, about caring for your neighbour and praying for your enemies. And while Jesus doesn’t cover this exactly, I think it also looks like a place where anyone who wants to go to school is able and children can learn how to read.
In a time when there seems to be a growing chasm between the rich and the poor, amidst a time with so much fighting and division, I think I needed to be reminded that God is using Dolly and her great wealth to bring wellbeing to those who need it.
God’s kingdom is much greater and more extensive than what Dolly is doing. But her work with her employees and poor children definitely sparks my imagination, and hopefully yours too, of what the Kingdom coming to earth looks like.
Lately, I have needed to be reminded about what God's Kingdom looks like. Sometimes I can forget how breathtaking it is. This week, Dolly helped me remember that.
May our eyes be open to the in-breaking of the Kingdom, no matter how unexpected its source. And may we learn again from Jesus how to pray, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Amen.
*Please understand me, I know that there are so many people doing the hard work of serving the poor and disenfranchised and they don’t make the headlines. My husband works at a shelter in the inner city and that work is hard, holy, and saintly, most of it going unseen. I am thankful for all the ways these organizations and people are vessels through which God brings his Kingdom to earth.