Here is the church. Here is the steeple.
A quiet town by anyone’s standards, Daykin, Neb., offered shelter from the cold January night after a long drive over icy roads.
The
church has been there for a long time. An hour southwest of Lincoln,
Neb., this might be a place where people escape to the country. “Most
of those people haven’t discovered Daykin yet,” said Pastor Elizabeth
Liggett with a twinkle in her eye.
No matter. Here one sees a
steady, stable identity to sustain residents through dry seasons and
the winds of change. Daykin is known as “the windmill capital,” an
identity that conveys grain and wind, energy and transition. The town
struggles with grain prices and changing times.
Set amid the
windmills—most are actually gone—is the church steeple.St. John
Lutheran Church struggles along with the people, but its symbol of
identity remains strong.
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© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
