RELIGION: G.W. Carver and J.H. Pickle, Jr.

Have you heard of these men? Both are scientists ... well, J.H. is still a scientist, but G.W. was a scientist until he passed away in 1943.

David Pickle called me last week and said he had a book for me, so I drove over to get it. It was so interesting that it didn't take me very long to finish reading it. The book was compiled and written by brother, John H. Pickle, Jr., and it's an amazing account of his father's interaction with the outstanding scientist, George Washington Carver! The title of the book is, "One of His Boys."

Quoting from the back of the book, "George Washington Carver is today remembered in part for the many products he derived from the peanut, a crop he urged on Southern Farmers to replace cotton and avoid soil exhaustion and the boll weevil. Less known are the multitude of college students Carver took under his wing over the years in relationships that were cherished by and valuable to the scientist. 'One of His Boys' is the story of the mentorship of Johnnie Pickle, one young man inspired to follow in Carver's footsteps after witnessing firsthand the Wizard of Tuskegee's wisdom."

Johnnie Pickle had the privilege of meeting the African American scientist in 1932. Because of this "chance encounter" Johnnie was inspired to become a scientist. Johnnie's son, John Jr. also followed in Carver's and Johnnie's footsteps, and [quoting the book] "spent thirty years developing products for farmers to use. He is now retired and continues to promote good science."

When David gave me the book, he also told me that his brother, John H. Pickle, Jr., is going to speak about their father's long-time interaction with Carver. The presentation will be at the George Washington Carver National Monument on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. That's just three days from when this goes to press.

The address is: 5646 Carver Rd, Diamond, MO 64840. The talk will be at 11 a.m.

Carver was the most prominent black scientist in the early 1900s. Two of the things he is famous for were crop-rotation and creating more than 300 uses for the peanut. I found it quite interesting that, until 1870, peanuts grown in America were primarily used as a garden crop, and its primary large-scale purpose was hog food until around 1932.

Here's a bit of peanut trivia.

President Thomas Jefferson was a botanist and grew peanuts. The peanut was nutrition for soldiers during the Civil War. Known as goober peas, the Southerners pronounced them gooba peas because the word from Africa was, nguba.

Enter George Washington Carver, the Wizard from Tuskegee.

Quoting Carver: "All my life, I have risen regularly at four in the morning to go into the woods and talk with God. That's where He reveals His secrets to me. When everybody else is asleep, I hear God best and learn my plan."

One morning, George asked God why He made the peanut.

Quoting Carver: "He told me, separate the peanut into water, fats, oils, gums, resins, sugars, starches, and amino acids. Then recombine these under My three laws of compatibility, temperature, and pressure. Then you will know why I made the peanut." Eight of these discoveries are flour, paste, insulation, paper, wood stains, shaving cream, tires, and skin lotion.

That heavenly advice helped Carver discover more than 300 uses for the peanut, and that changed the South, changed ethnic relations and changed the agriculture industry.

I laughed when I learned that Carver didn't merely "talk to God." He "conversed with God." That's exactly what prayer is supposed to be – a conversation with God. Carver said, "God speaks to us every hour, if we will only TUNE IN."

God is alive, and He wants to communicate with us. If I do all the talking, I'll get no answers. I know what my problems and needs are, at least I think I know, and God knows them, too. If I merely recite to God what He already knows, I'm not learning anything.

But if I listen, I can hear God giving me helpful information – as He gave Carver information. God communicates with me often, and wants to converse with you, too. Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep know My voice."

God listens, then responds to us. Do you listen to God?

Hear Dr. John Pickle at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2021. 5646 Carver Rd, Diamond, MO 64840

-- S. Eugene Linzey is author of Charter of the Christian Faith. Send comments and questions to [email protected]. Visit his web site at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.