GEMS FROM AN UNPUBLISHED BOOK

Sara Savells is a sweet widow who attends church with us at the Nashville Road Church of Christ in Gallatin, Tennessee. She also is part of a group who eats lunch together almost every Sunday at Logan’s Roadhouse in Gallatin. One Sunday, quite by accident, I learned that she is the niece of one of my high school classmates from Mars Hill Bible School—Johnny Faughn—, being the daughter of Johnny’s older sister. As we often say, “It is a small world.”

Sara’s husband—Jerry Savells, who passed away from cancer in 2007 at the age of 65—was a Professor of Sociology for 31 years, first at the University of Memphis (3 years), and then at Wright State University in Fairborn, OH (28 years), retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1995. He held the B.S., M.A., and Ph.D degrees, the latter two from LSU in Baton Rouge. His first degree was in chemistry, but after a few years in that industry, he went back to school and obtained a Masters and a Doctorate in sociology and became a well-liked college professor. He published two books and numerous journal articles in his field—all with a scholarly focus and purpose. An unpublished book written to inspire and entertain is titled “Letters to Christy…Love, Dad.” (Christy is his and Sara’s daughter who lives in California).

Sara has been gracious enough to gift me with a copy of this unpublished book and I have read it with great delight. While Jerry uses some colorful language, his book is one of the most entertaining that I have read in a long time. He touches on so many aspects of life in our culture (as one would expect of an insightful sociologist). He died before the advent of smart phones and many other advances in technology that have—for better or for worse—come to dominate our lives. Nevertheless, the book is filled with provocative gems that speak powerfully, poignantly, and humorously to our lives. With Sara’s permission I am sharing some of them in this week’s edition of “Hugh’s News & Views.” Continue reading →

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