The Shadow
Dear Editor,
I don’t know how many of you watched the “Dolly Parton Christmas Show,” which aired the day after Christmas, but I thought it was a wonderful show. It had some great guest stars. From beginning to end, it was like a church service, with the words “God,” “Jesus,” and “Christ” used over and over. Even though in today’s politically correct world, the religious tone of the show might have been offensive to some, Dolly handled the performances so well and was so sincere, and down home earthy, that it was hard for me to think that anyone, regardless of religion or lack thereof, could have been upset.
She talked about growing up poor in a big family, as a coal miner’s daughter, and at the end of the show, she did a sing-along with members of her family.
As I watched the show, I could not help but wonder if her words and obvious faith would encourage folks to start coming back to church. Some of our churches are practically empty on most Sundays and I’m not sure I understand why. I guess a lot of people are too busy to go to church, but I remember growing up in the 40s and 50s when the churches were full. What happened?! It is sad to me to see so many large churches with so few people in them.
At the end of her show, as Dolly was introducing her family, she said, “I hope I haven’t offended anyone by cramming my religion down your throat, but this is who I am and what I believe.” It was an open-hearted comment, and I could not believe anyone was offended. She is so well-liked, so sincere, and has done so many good things for so many people, that I must think that there are a lot of people who watched that show who will start coming back to church. Anyway, I hope so.
Happy New Year!
Bill Wilson
