Hyattsville Life&Times | December 2007
Page 2
Opinion: Creepy truth seekers by Sarah Nemeth
O
ne of my favorite things to do when I visit my father’s snowy Niagara Falls home for Christmas is to stand and stare at the Nativity scene when the lights are low, save for the backlit stable humbly adorned with a declarative angel. It’s an inspiring and wholesome moment there, wondering if the baby was crying and if the animals were as mesmerized by the tiny God in a manger as my yellow Lab is by the blazing Christmas tree lights. I am especially intrigued by the Wise Men…kings from the East. I find them a bit creepy. There’s not much known about these men, except that they saw a brilliant star and followed it until it led them to Bethlehem. They brought some presents to Jesus. They worshipped him. And they probably found him toddling around at age two or so, Dad chasing him around the workshop and both laughing ‘til they landed in a heap on the straw-strewn ground. So the Wise Men brought Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh. I can see a kid being wowed by a glimmering chunk of gold. But incense? And myrrh—an ointment used in ancient burials? I doubt Jesus even had a clue at that age how to pronounce those two names. (What were the kings trying to say? I mean really, death ointment for a baby?) So I wonder as I wander mentally through the Middle Eastern scene. What did the Wise Men have to say to Mary and
Joseph? Did they sit down for a drink of cool water or offer a critique of Joseph’s carpentry skills? What would one say in that situation? “Hi, we know you’re the King of everything.We’re kings too, so we thought we might have something in common.” The precious boy probably had them chasing him around the homestead in no time flat. But I think what weirds me out the most about the Wise Men isn’t their interaction with the Jesus family so much as why they came to begin with. Talk about a long journey! Almost two years! Something must have really thirsted in them to compel three sovereigns to camel it across the globe. During a recent conversation with a friend, I think I found a glimpse into why they came. No one says it better than Thomas Aquinas, a theologian and scholar who lived in the 1200s: “Among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful, and more full of joy…It is more noble because through this pursuit man especially approaches to a likeness to God Who ‘made all things in wisdom’ (Ps. 103:24). And since likeness is the cause of love, the pursuit of wisdom especially joins a man to God in friendship. That is why it is said of wisdom that ‘she is an infinite treasure to men! Which they that use become the friends of God…’ ” What’s important to note here is that these men were not Jews, and may have been polytheists. They likely were nowhere near Judaism. But they were “illuminated” by a star that led them to a king. They were truth seekers. And it’s creepy how true their gifts would ring later in Jesus’ life.
News from the ‘Hills’
Neighborly noise by Tim Hunt
I
n University Hills, not a beat is missed between the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons as the leaves fall, holiday lights go up and the days get shorter. And in the case of our neighborhood, it can also get louder. After the University of Maryland football game against Boston College on Nov. 10, there were many residents who wished their neighborhood was a quieter place. University Hills is unique in that it is a mostly quiet
According to James Greenwell, associate athletic director at the University of Maryland, a lot of things could have contributed to the extraordinary noise. After Maryland defeated Boston College, an upset of a team ranked in the top 10 in the nation, there was a celebration where fans poured onto the field as music played. Crisp autumn weather and the lack of foliage on the trees could have contributed to the sound carrying to University Hills. Also, the post-game celebration delayed the post-game press confer-
ence, Greenwell said. The press conference is routinely played over the stadium public address system as a service to fans in attendance. Combine the late start of the game to accommodate national television, the weather conditions, the post-game celebration and press conference and it was the perfect storm for those attempting to get a good night’s sleep. “We want to make sure our constituents are being taken care of during the game as well as be[ing] good neighbors,” Greenwell said. “I’ve passed the word on to key personnel who will discuss [the noise affecting
from the HL&T Family to Yours
(YATTSVILLE ,IFE 4IMES
residents] in the off-season.” University officials promise committee reports to the residents by February. “I want to make sure that every complaint that comes in is taken to a resolution,” said Greenwell. The party never stops in University Hills as we look forward to continued dialogue with our very vibrant and very large neighbor, the University of Maryland. In other “Hills” news, on Nov.17, Colleen Aistis with the City of Hyattsville hosted National Family Volunteer Day at the Duck Pond.
Combine the late start of the game to accommodate national television, the weather conditions, the post-game celebration and press conference and it was the perfect storm for those attempting to get a good night’s sleep. neighborhood within a short walk to a major college football stadium. However, residents who have been here for decades were surprised to hear a lot more noise than usual coming from the public-address system of Byrd Stadium well after midnight. “Our house is over 1.5 miles from the stadium, but about midnight I called the university police to complain because the commentary was so loud that we couldn’t sleep,” said Daniel Inouye, a University Hills resident who works at UMD. “There was no excuse for the campus to be disturbing its neighbors so late into the night,” he said.
Greetings of the Season
With help from volunteers armed with 80 percent post consumer recycled trash bags and Orang-UTongs, the event was a huge success. Multiple bags of trash, half of an automobile alternator, tires, a rusted 55-gallon barrel, the top of a toilet tank and many other items were collected and disposed of properly. The weather was beautiful. Many thanks go to the City for sponsoring the event as well as to Mayor William Gardiner, Councilman Anthony Patterson and the numerous other residents who volunteered their time and energy to make the neighborhood a cleaner place.
A community newspaper chronicling the life and times of Hyattsville
Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781 Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation. Interested reporters should send their e-mail addresses to the editor to be reminded of deadlines and receive internal news. Articles and news submitted may be edited. The deadline is the last week of the month for the following month’s issue. Letters to the editor and opinions are encouraged. For all e-mail correspondence with HL&T: news, features, tips, advertising and business write to hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com. To submit articles, letters to the editor, etc. , e-mail Hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com. For inquiries re advertising rates or to submit ad copy please email to Hyattsvillelife@Yahoo.com. Sarah Nemeth, Executive Editor 240.354.4832 or betweensundays@gmail.com Ashby Henderson, Photographer Publication Production, Electronic Ink
Colleen Aistis Ashley Henderson
Writers/Contribtors John Aquilino Keith Blackburn Bert Kapinus Michael Martucci
Steve Clements Hugh Turley
Board of Directors Christopher Currie Matthew McKnight Tim Hunt Bert Kapinus Sarah Nemeth Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. Mail to every address in Hyattsville. Additional copies are distributed to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the city. Total circulation is 7,500. HL&T is a member of the National Newspaper Association.