Men of peppermint integrity

It was a time of civil unrest in our country – riots in Detroit, upheaval in California, the Civil Rights Movement pushing forward, and the Vietnam War raging across the world.
It was the 1960s, and I was just a child. The evening news showed images of chaos and violence, both overseas and here at home. Somewhere in the middle of it all, I learned one of the greatest lessons of my life.
Though I was young, I felt the weight of the world’s brokenness. Fear crept in as I watched the flames of conflict rise on our screen. But then something happened – something small and quiet – that changed me forever.
It was a blustery winter day, and our mother had been sick for some time. Mr. Skeeter Sales, a man who often helped my father care for the yard, had heard of her illness. On that cold, damp day, Mr. Sales bundled himself up and walked three miles to the local store. He used what little he had to buy two peppermint candies. Then he walked three more miles to our home to deliver them.
When he arrived, I watched from the doorway as he handed the small paper sack to my father. But Dad didn’t just take it and close the door. He insisted that Mr. Sales come in and give the gift personally. Afterwards, my father grabbed his coat and drove Mr. Sales home.
It was such a simple gesture. No one reported it. It didn’t make the evening news. No one in our community even heard about it. But I did. I saw it. And it shaped something deep in me.
In the Gospel of Luke, there’s a moment when Jesus and His disciples were rejected by a Samaritan village. James and John, burning with righteous anger, asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54). But Jesus rebuked them. That wasn’t the way.
Instead, Jesus showed us a different way – a path of mercy and humility. He said that those who work for peace are truly blessed and will be known as God’s own children (Matthew 5:9). He challenged us to love even those who hurt us, to pray for those who speak against us, and to choose kindness over anger (Matthew 5:43–45). Jesus called us to do good to those who wish us harm, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27–28). It’s a hard way to live, but it’s the way that leads to true peace and healing.
That’s the way of Christ. Not fire from heaven – but peppermint in a paper sack.
My father and Mr. Sales never raised their voices in outrage. They didn’t demand recognition or justice. They simply lived the gospel, quietly, humbly – two men with peppermint integrity who walked together in peace when the world around them shouted with division. Their friendship lasted a lifetime.
And now, here we are in the 2020s. The world doesn’t look all that different. Headlines still rage. Fear still creeps in. But every now and then, if you’re watching closely, you’ll catch a glimpse of the kingdom – small, kind acts that carry the weight of heaven.
Let’s be people who don’t call down fire – but who are willing to take each other home. Let us be the change others see.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” — John 14:27

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.