Being a member of the generation that remembers the time before television, we were raised on the 'ancient' medium of radio: my older brother, Jim, learned to tell time at an early age, purely for the pleasure of dialing in the Lone Ranger at the right minute. Our family's lives were inextricably wrapped around the air waves and the old Philco. When Captain Midnight was being lured into a trap by Ivan Shark, we were concerned for him and the entire Secret Squadron. If Little Orphan Annie was willing to share a vital secret with us, we were eager to help the war effort by translating the message with our valuable Orphan Annie Decoder Ring. When young Rush Gook founded the Virginia Avenue Sons of Patriotism & Salvage Indemnity to collect and recycle scrap for the War effort, we started a similarly-named organization in our small community, although as far as we knew there wasn't a Virginia Avenue in the whole state of Pennsylvania. The only radio character for whom we felt no trepidation was the Lone Ranger: we knew that with the aid of his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, he would be able to escape any trap set for him by either the Cavendish gang or unwitting law officers who didn't understand why he wore a mask if he wasn't a 'bad guy.' ("Who was that Masked Man?", they would always have to ask.) Day or night, there was almost always a radio on somewhere in our house. We started the morning with Buzz & Bill on KDKA, as we prepared for  work or the school day. Midday there was a visit to "the little house halfway up in the next block" for a visit with "America's home folks, Vic and Sade." After school, it was the Old Jay Bird, with swing and big band music. In the evening, we were entertained with mystery, drama and comedy, along with the Voice of Firestone, my introduction to 'good' music. As we got older, we were allowed to stay up later to listen to some favorite programs. It was a real mark of maturity in our household when we were permitted to leave the bedside radio on ALL NIGHT. Then we could waken on Saturday morning to the greatest treat: "No School Today" with Big Jon and Sparky. On Sunday afternoon, thrilling to the Adventures of the Shadow, we could hear Orson Welles intoning "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" Some people hear the sound of the ocean in a sea shell: in the inner ear of memory, I hear the laugh of the Shadow! Our lives were ordered around the radio -- when we heard certain theme songs, it was time to start walking or we would be late for school. Since house windows were always open in this era of 'natural' house cooling, we would keep an ear cocked for the sound of a neighbor's radio to inform us it was time to go home for supper or for bed. One major advantage of this upbringing was developing the ability to listen. What entered the brain through the ear gate was important to us: this ability carried over to school and even a lecturing teacher was given our (mostly) undivided attention. Some young folks might think of this as the Dark Ages. It was really an Age of Enlightenment, during which we learned by listening and allowing our imaginations to supply the pictures. One thing missing from radio in those days was the Christian influence which pervades the airwaves today. In my area, we almost never heard radio preaching or hymns or other church music, except for an occasional Latin mass. Not even Big Jon & Sparky, who showed up years later on the Family Radio Network with a thoroughly religious program, ever mentioned spiritual things in the 1950s. Perhaps that is why I am so excited by the avenues open to Bible Center Church to spread the Word through radio and the internet today. How good it has been to tune the radio on Sunday morning, so that my shut-in mother-in-law could listen to the 9:30 service. How exciting to hear from friends in Texas, Florida and China, telling us that they were able to experience our Sunday morning services along with us, although they had to get up earlier or stay up later to do so. What a treat to have a new acquaintance note that she always listens to our Sunday morning broadcast and wishes we would air the evening service, too. Yes, today the power of my old friend the radio, combined with the much newer marvel of the internet, can be used to reach every "little house halfway up in the next block", whether that block is in Kanawha County or on the other side of the world, and we can reach them with powerful truths about the hearts of men (in answer to the Shadow's query) and with absolute openness and clarity (no Secret Squadron: no need of a Decoder Ring.)

William Russell © 2004 Bible Center Church Back To Main Page / Archive of Previous Articles