Iowa Letters

My recent reading includes Iowa Letters, a volume of correspondence between Dutch immigrants and their friends who remained in the Netherlands.

Having four grandparents who emigrated from the Netherlands and having lived within the Pella Dutch community all my life, I found the collection fascinating. But the appeal of these letters transcends biological or geographical ties. Like all good writing, these letters touch the common chord of human experience. Any modern reader can empathize with the struggles of these writers, but Reformed Christians will particularly identify with their humble belief in God’s sovereignty.

These letters also reflect some differences that will soon become apparent to modern readers. The letters display a graciousness literary quality that is nearly absent from today’s communications. The language is polite, repeatedly addressing readers in elevated terms such as “esteemed brother and sister” and “your honors.” Carefully constructed sentences and transitions create a rich style that contrasts vividly with today’s instant messaging paucity.

Written in the not so distant past before the advent of antibiotics and anesthetics, these letters also reflect a keener familiarity with death than that found in our society. Incredibly, one young couple buries twelve of their fourteen children. If this were fiction, any good editor would revise it to be more believable.

Yet through all these trials, the writers continue to confess their belief in a gracious and sovereign God. Their letters echo biblical language. Their great joys are faithful preaching and the communion of the saints.

Reflecting on this makes me think, especially on the Lord’s Day, about what activities I enjoy and what I am willing to invest in relationships. And it creates a new sense of urgency in crafting writing that excels in literary quality. Most of all, it fills me with praise for our sovereign God who transcends all barriers of time and place.