Plow Handles

Elisha, successor to Elijah as prophet of Israel, was plowing in a field with twelve yoke of oxen when God called him to succeed Elijah. The mantle fell on Elisha and he did not hesitate in his calling. The oxen were killed and cooked, the plow was destroyed, Elisha was serious in his calling (1 Kings 19).

Over my long, eventful life I have known many good friends, but not one did I admire more than Dr. W. Burkette Raper. Newly discharged from the Korean War, in practice near Mount Olive, Burkette asked me to speak to the student body when the college, in its infancy, was located in an old public school building. I believe Dr. Raper was familiar with the history of my family (early colonial Free Will Baptists arriving in North Carolina from Morristown, New Jersey), but I think the thing that united our thoughts quicker than anything else, was our mutual affection for Dr. James Evans, the fact that Burkette was reared on the Free Will Baptist orphanage farm at Middlesex, and I was raised on family farms in Wayne County. We had both plowed mules, Dr. Raper told me the names of the mules at the orphanage: Mary and Pearl. We both knew the feel of plow handles, we both knew commitment to our blessed Lord, having put our hands to the plow handles, we had not turned back. (Luke 9:62)

Burkette's greatest wealth, next to his faith, was his remarkable wife, Rose. Knowing that I did not “get out” very much because of my sightless condition, they would come down for a visit, always bringing some of Rose's home cooking. I tried to reciprocate by giving them things which I valued from my home and family: a cake pan from my great grandmother, silver, creamer and sugar. I said, “now, don't put this on a shelf somewhere, use it on your table every day and think of me.”

Matron of the boy's dormitory, my aunt (Louetta Sullivan Morris) before her death, reminded me that Burkette assisted had her in getting lice off the heads of the orphan boys. Another aunt (Helen Pittman Tyson), my mother's sister, secretary to the orphanage, reminded me of Burkette's remarkable politeness.

Burkette's entire life revolved around education, from his own marvelous education at Duke University to his long tenure at Mount Olive College. I honored him with a special financial gift to the college when he retired, having served as college president longer than any other college president in America.

Sitting in my living room, I remember as if it were yesterday, him saying, “I am so glad that I have given my life to Christian education.” We both knew why the college, the jewel of the denomination had so prospered, it was because of the hearts and minds of the people of the Free Will Baptist denomination. Those of us with familiar with country and city churches understand.

In my long life of church activity, mostly large city churches, it was easy for an old blind man to get knocked down by “city Baptists” rushing out the front door to get in line at the cafeteria. In our country churches, men and women, boys and girls, regardless of age, status in the community or anything else always lingered...visiting, talking, continuing the worship service in the church yard which I believe our blessed Lord really loved because He so wants those who claim His name to love one another, to have time for one another.

Our Lord came to set the captives free. More captives of the world, the flesh, the devil have been set free by those who demonstrate the saving grace of our Lord, than by pulpiteers.

Burkette and I discussed many things, we both knew that those of us saved by the grace of God are born twice and die once. Those who are lost are born once, and die twice. We both knew that the more you read the Bible, the more you discover that life is hard. God did not promise us a bed of ease, only eternal life. Perhaps some time, we will know why it was necessary for him to spend so much time in an orphanage, and for me to spend so much time sightless. God is boss, and it is left up to us to trust.

From the time of the conjugal embrace, egg and sperm uniting, the child of God's love, born, living until death, clings to the precious promises made in the council chambers of eternity. Burkette knew he was chosen to love and lead young people in their college careers.

He told me that the only time he ever had enough food at the orphanage was at Thanksgiving and Christmas. He told me how much he enjoyed peanuts left in peanut hay, hay which one Free Will Baptist farmer gave to the orphanage. I am sure to the very last, as he told me in our very last conversation, he knew that from his own beloved family, his friends, he had been blessed. Writer C.S. Lewis said, “we always learn goodness from good people.” Now, good people will replace Burkette's hands on the plough as they attempt to follow his spirit in the local church and certainly at a fine, Christian college.