At our recent convention in Vancouver, Washington I awarded the Bishop's Cross to Jefferson "Jeff" Macon. I have been impressed with him since he began sending me hand typed letters regarding all types of subjects. At 91 years old it is amazing what he is thinking about and focused on. I read his story over quite a few times before convention in hopes I could get through the presentation. I barely did. I share it here because it is worth sharing. Blessings, Greg
Jefferson
Macon is a charming Southern gentleman, born on April 25, 1919, in
Georgia. Raised a Baptist, he was
confirmed in the Episcopal Church in the 1950’s. He became a member of St. Margaret’s
Episcopal Church in Bellevue, in 2005, after moving from the Missoula, MT, area
where he had a career in real estate.
Jeff’s life story includes some remarkable moments.
In
1943, Jeff enlisted in the US Army Air Force, where he was trained as a
pilot. Upon earning his wings, he
married his beloved Sara, and they moved to Colorado Springs, where he received
combat training on a B-24. During WWII,
he was the pilot of missions into southern Germany and Italy. When his plane was shot down over Austria
(after more than 40 successful missions), all 12 members of Jeff’s crew were
captured and sent to concentration camps.
Jeff was marched from one Stalag to another, moving toward Munich during
winter, where he was rescued by Patton’s Army.
Then he returned to the US with all 12 of his crew alive. Before he left Sara in Georgia to go oversees,
he asked a florist in Atlanta to give his wife a rose each month. Even while he was prisoner, the florist
continued to do that each month.
When
Sara was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1990, Jeff and his son Gary cared for
her at home for two years, then made the difficult decision to admit her to a
nursing home in Missoula. Jeff and Gary
eventually closed their real estate office and moved so they could spend time
with Sara daily. Jeff wrote a history of
this time: “My Second Courtship of Sara During 13 Years of Alzheimer’s.” He wrote, “… never give up on a loved one who
has Alzheimer’s…. Wrap your arms around the limited abilities that still exist
and treasure them with love.”
Since
arriving at St. Margaret’s, Jeff has been actively engaged in EFM, worship, and
other ministries. He can reflect upon
the “epiphanies” of his life – such as when he and his wife Sara entered a
movie theater just after the lights had dimmed.
“We were raised as bigots,” he says.
When the movie ended, they discovered to their amazement that the
theater was a racially-integrated one.
They looked at each other, initially horrified, but then instantly realized
that it was not a problem. And Jeff
immediately changed his attitude. More
recently (at age 89), he was drinking coffee in a Starbucks, when he overheard
two men at the next table who got up to leave.
They embraced each other and said, “See you tonight.” Jeff had an epiphany – a moment of
understanding about how people relate to each other, and he’s been a gay rights
activist since then. “If I can change my
thinking that quickly, why is the church so slow?” he wonders.
Last
Lent, when St. Margaret’s read Phyllis Tickle’s The Great Emergence together, Jeff read it several times, excited
and eager to know what comes next. He
has attended every parish discussion of the book, written to the bishop about
his thoughts and questions, and is ready to do whatever he can do to help St.
Margaret’s and the Episcopal Church to be ready for the future. He recently wrote to
the Bishop and said, “I am 90 years old, I figure I only have a few more years
to help, tell me what I can do!” For his
ministry, and his amazing wisdom which has allowed him to grow old without
growing up, to get younger on every birthday, and to be a servant of our Lord
and an inspiration to us, it is with a great deal of pleasure that I present
the Bishop’s Cross to
Jefferson
Macon
Gregory
H. Rickel
Bishop
of
99th Diocesan Convention
October 2009
Greg,
This is an inspirational story and very moving. Thank you for telling us about Jeff, and for honoring his faithful efforts to grow and listen to the needs of the world.
Blessings,
Cynthia +
Posted by: Cynthia Mckenna | October 23, 2009 at 05:30 AM
Jeff and I were EFM cohorts and he became one of my heroes for his willingness to grow and become more of what God calls him to be -- and being 90 years old was no excuse to stagnate. I'm so pleased that he has been publicly honored with the Bishop's Cross.
Posted by: Sherril Nossum | October 26, 2009 at 06:21 PM
Greg, I always love what (and who) you "show" us. How about a pic of Jeff? It was really great to hear Jefferson's story at convention and I'm sure other attendees agree with me when I say we all hope he's feeling stronger. It sounds like "traveling" in more ways than one is a favorite pastime of his and we'd hate to see him slow down NOW.
Posted by: Mary Lyons | November 02, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Raised a Baptist, he was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in the 1950’s. He became a member of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Bellevue
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