Mr. Rogers Was Even More Wholesome Than We Thought, According To This Heartwarming Twitter Thread

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Meeeeesh
Jul 24, 2019 12:00 PM EDT

People are all feels right now after the release of the trailer for the Mr. Rogers biopic, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. And in case that alone isn't good enough for you, he's portrayed by the always-wholesome Tom Hanks!

In the height of the Mr. Rogers hype, Twitter user Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg tweeted out an incredibly informative thread that gives us more of a look into what Mr. Rogers' life was really like. Let's just say, we didn't think we could love him any more than we already did!

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  • 01
    Tweet - "While you're in your Mr. Rogers feels, a few things to remind you about his radical theology. 1/x He was a Presbyterian minister whose life's work was built almost entirely (if not entirely) around Leviticus 19:18 (Love your neighbor as yourself.) Hence... the neighborhood."
    via shiftk
  • 02
    Tweet - "That looked like this: "To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now." Rev. Fred Rogers t11,243 18 12.7K Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 23h It looked like this: King Friday Establishes Border Guard The very first episode in 1968, while the Vietnam War was raging. Just addressed the thing head-on"
    via shiftk
  • 03
    Tweet - "As swimming pool integration became a major issue, he washed his and François Clemmons/Officer Clemmons' feet together in a kiddie pool. Presumably the good Rev. Rogers was fully holding the Christian meaning of footwashing in his choices."
    via shiftk
  • 04
    Tweet - "'What does assassination mean?' after the murder of RFK in 1968 Again, naming true things and simply holding space to let children deal with them--rather than trying to hide or minimize or gaslight because it seems too hard youtube.com/watch?v=DMuzZ.. L2575 10.3K 8 Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 23h It should also be noted that Francois Clemmons was gay. Rev. Rogers told him to stay away from gay bars at the time (late 60s/early 70s) because he knew that if that got out"
    via shiftk
  • 05
    Tweet - "I see this as a gesture of love and trying to protect Clemmons and his livelihood, and role on the show. And of course that came with a price. But he didn't ask Clemmons to deny his gayness, just not to get "caught" publicly, as that ruined many a career (outside kids' TV!) then. 14 t282 7,605 Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 23h Rev. Rogers has been quoted as saying, "Well, you know, I must be right smack in the middle. Because I have found women attractive"
    via shiftk
  • 06
    Text - Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg But the entirety of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood can be summed up as: 23h Cultivate empathy. Be curious. It's ok to have hard feelings. And most of all, love your neighbor as yourself. I think this is all a theological stance. About who we are, and who God is. t3,669 39 22.4K Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 23h I believe Fred Rogers tried to love each and every one of us the way he believed God loves each and every one of us. I believe he saw his job as looking with a loving, em
    via shiftk
  • 07
    Text - Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. 23h And that his job was to wait patiently for, and to make open space for, the answer: Heneni. Here I am. Wouldn't surprise me if he was a fan of Buber, of I-Thou, of all of me welcoming the encounter with all of you. 11 t266 5,900 Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 23h Here's some of his work aimed at grownup. You can just YouTube for his commencement speeches and get fuel for your soul for days. This is another beautiful investigation of Leviticus 19:18, the cornerstone of
    via shiftk
  • 08
    Text - Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 23h He sounds just like he does on the TV show, right? No major difference in how he is speaking to adults and children, as a TV star or honored keynoter. Because he was fully integrated, the same guy everywhere he was. There are no sides. There is just him. Heneini. Here I am. 7,415 t301 16 Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 23h "Deep down, we know what matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win, too. Even if it means slo
    via shiftk
  • 09
    Text - Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. 23h The implications of Rev. Rogers teachings on our society are truly radical. The things he offered to children--to people--were radical for our society. Radical activism looks like a lot of things. Find your way to make the world more whole and more just. And say: Heneni. 23 7,400 t1521
    via shiftk
  • 10
    Photo caption - Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg Know that you are loved. 22h Now go out there and do something that shows how loving your neighbor as yourself can manifest. Icelebrate you GIF 11964 193 11.4K
    via shiftk
  • 11
    Text - Piccadilly Crown @PiccadillyCrown Replying to @TheRaDR and@Randy1116 I'm ugly crying in line at the bank! Thank you for sharing this! One of the best threads I have read here! 2:22 PM Jul 22, 2019 Twitter for iPhone
    via PiccadillyCrown

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