Graduation

Today was the last day of school for my son. The lad is now officially a second grader. Corran's transition got me to thinking about other (perhaps, more substantial) graduations that are going on this time of year. It reminds me of a sermon I preached some time ago. There is a myth that I have heard spoken at almost every commencement ceremony that I attended during my many years of youth ministry. Invariably, some well-meaning student would stand up to speak and share about the wonderful time that they had in high school. Then they would say something to the effect, “when we look back, we will realize that these were be the best years of our lives.”
Well, I want to say that that is absolute rubbish. It is rubbish because it ignores two very important realities. First, it ignores the reality that, for many, joyful participation and inclusion into extracurricular activities did not characterize their school experience. Instead, many experienced school as a source of alienation and deepening despair simply because they were different in some way from the expected norm. However, the second reality that this pronouncement ignores is the reality of God’s constant presence in our lives, and God’s constant call on our hearts. It ignores the fact that while you some may experience a degree of freedom from responsibility as young people, what no one ever tells you is that the responsibilities of adulthood come with freedoms all their own. The best is not behind - it is ahead. It is always ahead. Because that is God's way.

I Need A Hero - part II

After writing my last post (rant) about needing a hero, I remembered a wonderful story that everyone should read. Just follow this link. I humbly (as humbly as I am able, anyway) submit this young man as a candidate for the position of hero. I was an assistant coach for my son's coach pitch team this past spring and this young man was on our team. In fact, I am the coach that threw the pitch in the story. It is a great story, and he is a great kid. Check it out.

I Need A Hero

Do you remember that 80's song by Bonnie Tyler (reprised wonderfully in the movie "Shrek") "I Need A Hero." It was a sappy pop song that was about 100 times more sentimental than necessary. But lately, I am kind of liking the idea of it. I need a hero. We all need a hero. It seems like we live in a society (and I am speaking specifically to those of us who live in suburban America) that has completely lost a sense of its moral compass. I am not talking about this specific moral principle or that one (those we will continue to argue about until we have beaten one another into submission - another problem with our culture, by the way). I am merely talking about the sense of actually just having a moral compass. It seems like the prevailing attitude is whatever I feel like is right. When I was young, they used to say, "if it feels good, do it." But, it seemed that we at least acknowledged that some of the things that felt good that we were indeed doing were wrong. Now, it seems like, if it feels good, it is good. What I feel, what I want, what I need, are how the universe should go. Consider the display of poor sportsmanship of Lebron James in the Eastern Conference Finals last week. Because Lebron is a gazillionaire and a "world-wide brand" (Coke is a world-wide brand, Lebron is a world-wide celebrity - just my two cents), none of the Nike officials who endorse him, none of the management of the Cleveland Caviliers basketball team, probably not even the NBA, will admonish him because they do not want to upset him. So, this 24 year-old kid gets to pout and whine like my six year-old (who does get in trouble when he behaves that way), and no one says anything because we don't want to offend. Here's the problem, somewhere, someone is actually going to have to say, "enough." Someone is going to have to say the obvious - there are actually more important things in the world than the NBA playoffs (like, for example, the fact that the Detroit Tigers are atop the American League Central Division). As far as I have been able to observe, most (not all - most) professional athletes that reach the "elite" status ultimately care more about there own situation than anything else. And they have people around them who encourage that because they make money off of it. That is fine. That is their right. I do not begrudge anyone riches or fame. However, act like a stinkin' adult once in a while. When I was a kid, athletes were heroes. Today, they are "international brands." I need a hero...any ideas.