a Tribute to Polly Redd - Sheep & Elephants

A Tribute to Polly Redd
Sheep and Elephants

by Wil Bosbyshell

A news article came to my attention during a break between meetings at work. ‘Church announces three new Saints’, it exclaimed in the bold headline. “There are no saints, that's all hooey,” one of my coworkers announced unsolicited. You know the type; every office has one.

“Are you sure,” I countered.

“Yes, everyone is flawed. Nobody is perfect enough to be a Saint.” “You don't have to be perfect; you just have to perform a miracle or two,” I added.

“Miracles, ha. It’s dumb nonsense.”

At home that night my wife, my son and I were going over the rules for the upcoming Epiphany pageant at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church. “It says here that kids between two and three are to come dressed as sheep,” Maura read out loud from the church bulletin. My son spoke up immediately, “I don't want to be a sheep. I want to be an elephant.”

“There are no elephants in this story, you have to be a sheep,” I chimed in trying to sound very excited about sheep. “Sheep have fun black ears and noses,” added Maura. Allen was not deterred, “I. Am. A. Elephant.,” as only a two-year-old can say with conviction.

Maura looked at me, “Well, we have the elephant costume left over from Halloween.”

We both looked down at Allen; he looked up with his arms crossed and a very serious look on his face. “Elephant it is,” we concluded.

The next Sunday we entered the church filled with kids and parents preparing for the pageant. It was controlled Episcopal chaos. The director of Christian education, Polly Redd, met us at the door. We stopped to get our instructions. Polly barked at a couple of kids, “No, not there,” she swung her arm and pointed, “Over there!” The kids moved quickly to obey.

Polly was imposing, loud and definitely in charge. She held detailed instructions for the pageant in a folder in one of her hands.

I ventured sheepishly, “Polly, Allen didn't come as a sheep he is an elephant.”

Polly turned to look at us, registered my statement and quickly looked down at the elephant standing at my side.

Allen was dressed head to toe in elephant gray. He had big gray elephant ears, an elephant trunk, elephant toes sewn onto his gray sweatpants and an elephant tail. At the circus Allen had been the envy of every kid under the age of five as he rode my shoulders into the performance.

Without missing a beat, Polly yelled, “I'm sure the wisemen had an elephant. Allen, go over to that corner,” she pointed, “and join the wisemen caravan.”

“Those three boys will tell you what to do. Parents,” she pointed, “you sit over there.”

We all obeyed our instructions.

Polly yelled, “Where is Mary and the Manger Cat?”

Allen went over and joined the wisemen, boys all about 8 years old. He was in heaven.

Maura and I sat down to wait for the service and the pageant to begin. I thought, “I disagree with my coworker, you meet Saints every day.”

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Polly Redd died in the spring of 2023. She was the heart and pillar of many Episcopal Churches including Holy Comforter and several others in the Charlotte area. Through her life she communicated the gospel in a clear strong voice that never wavered from her faith in God.