{"id":712,"date":"2009-03-23T04:01:28","date_gmt":"2009-03-23T04:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/03\/a-familiar-name-a-familiar-place-and-a-feeling-of-sadness.html"},"modified":"2009-03-23T04:01:28","modified_gmt":"2009-03-23T04:01:28","slug":"a-familiar-name-a-familiar-place-and-a-feeling-of-sadness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/03\/a-familiar-name-a-familiar-place-and-a-feeling-of-sadness.html","title":{"rendered":"A Familiar Name, A Familiar Place, and a Feeling of Sadness"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday<\/a> I put up a picture of the Dallas Morning News building in Dallas, Texas, focusing on the inspiring inscription on the front wall. I explained that this statement was adapted from a speech by George Dealey, who had been a leader of the newspaper a century ago.
\nThe name, “Dealey,” seemed strangely familiar to me. (It’s pronounced DEE-lee. And for some strange reason I knew this.) I did a little research and realized why I knew that name. Not far from my hotel is Dealey Plaza. This is where President Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963.\u00a0 In history books, news stories, and television specials, I’ve probably been exposed to the name “Dealey Plaza” hundreds of times. (Photo: Dealey Plaza in the foreground; the Hyatt Regency in the background. At the top of the tower to the left is a new Wolfgang Puck’s Five-Sixty restaurant, where I did not<\/em> eat.)
\nI do feel rather bad for Mr. Dealey, whose name is now associated with one of the great tragedies in American history. Nevertheless, I walked over to Dealey Plaza from my hotel. Sure enough, there was the infamous Texas School Book Depository Building, from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot the President. (It’s now a Dallas County Administration Building.) Not far from this building was the legendary “Grassy Knoll,” the location of the Oswald’s supposed co-conspirator. (Photo: The former Book Depository on the right; the Grassy Knoll to the left. The President was shot while riding in a car on the road, in just about the middle of the picture.)
\nDealey Plaza felt strangely familiar, no doubt from all of the footage I’ve watched for so many years. Yet, while standing there, I felt sadness more than familiarity or curiosity. I felt sad about what happened one day so many years ago. I felt sad for our country. I felt sad for President Kennedy’s family. (During one of my college years, I was in a dorm with Caroline Kennedy. I didn’t know her, other than to say “hello.” But I remember watching her on November 22 and wondering what that day was like for her.) I felt sad for the fallen nature of humanity, for all of the terrible things we do to each other. It was a feeling not unlike what I’ve known when visiting famous battlefields or graveyards, or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. Perhaps you know what I mean. It’s one thing to watch a place of tragedy on television, and quite another to stand in that place. Being there makes the reality of human suffering and evil so much more genuine and painful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Saturday I put up a picture of the Dallas Morning News building in Dallas, Texas, focusing on the inspiring inscription on the front wall. I explained that this statement was adapted from a speech by George Dealey, who had been a leader of the newspaper a century ago. The name, “Dealey,” seemed strangely familiar…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-texas"],"yoast_head":"\nA Familiar Name, A Familiar Place, and a Feeling of Sadness - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}