June 2nd, 2008
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
It was Henry David Thoreau who stated that a single man of conviction is a majority; and how we long for that man.
We live in a current culture so void of true conviction, that when we recognize it in someone, we are drawn to that person and often follow them. A wise man once told me that if you are going to follow someone, you had better be certain that they know where they are going. Well, when we find a person of true conviction, it is easy to see where they are going and follow them on their way, because we recognize them as people of moral authority.
Yet, today, it is uncommon to find a man or woman of true moral authority or conviction. Way too often it is hard to tell anymore what a person stands for. And this, unfortunately, is where there is trouble. Why? Because if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. And oh how so many have fallen today, for just about anything.
As Dr. King said years ago, in a world of convenience and comfort, it is easy to stand. This is where most in our society find themselves. Not wanting to disrupt their comfort and convenience. Yet as things grow increasingly challenging and controversial around us, fewer and fewer are willing to take a stand. So where are the MLKs of our day? Where are those who would stand in the gap for the oppressed and needy in our communities and our world?
Our production group is currently nearing completion of production of a documentary on the plight of the people in Sudan. In putting this film together, it has been easy to recognize the desperate need for men and women of conviction who will stand up and declare the truth and stand for what is right. This is true not only in Africa, but on our very own streets and in our very own schools. Cheating, stealing, dishonesty, physical and verbal assaults, disrespect. For too long we have tolerated such behavior and then wonder why we find ourselves in such a moral quagmire.
Yet in our current landscape of moral relativity and general malaise of disengagement and disinterest, we live with unprecedented opportunity. The world is hungry for people of conviction to stand up and show the way. And technology now allows for one person to influence beyond what anyone could have imagined just a decade ago.
Change almost always comes from within. The generation that we are currently raising can be the very generation to take a stand and make a world of difference. Let me encourage you: the next Dr. Kings of the world – those who will stand in conviction and in doing so change the world – are under your tutelage, your mentorship. We already know they are fed up with the status quo and crave change. So think of the opportunity you have to breathe life into their dreams and speak conviction into their hearts. I implore you to empower them to know that as they stand in conviction in perilous times and become men and women of moral authority, they can make a difference that is both widespread and lasting – simply by being one person with conviction.
June 2nd, 2008
Ever been sitting at a ballgame, just enjoying the atmosphere, when all of a sudden, a fan near you let’s out a stream of profanities that would make a sailor shudder? Unfortunately, that type of experience is becoming more and more common. And the mouths those words flow from are becoming younger and younger.
Last month, youth experts said that adolescents and preteens are swearing more publicly than ever – especially at school. Timothy Jay, a psychology professor at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and a leading scholar on cursing in the United States, says the rise in foul language among teens occurs mostly in conversational swearing – in the hallways an din the classrooms. Jay says teens are more likely to drop casual expletives or “fillers” than the generation before them and have more trouble adjusting their conversation to be appropriate to their audience. He estimates that the average adolescent uses about 80 to 90 swear words a day.
Says Jay, who has been studying swearing trends since the 1970s and is compiling data for a study on preteens and swearing, “Elementary school teachers report that children are using more offensive language at school than they have in the past…they have been breaking the rules at school more frequently in the last 10 years.”
Surprise, surprise – Jay says that cussing is a behavior learned from family members.
So, just what in the &%$#@ can be done about all this vulgar language?
Well, one young man had an idea.
14-year-old high school student, McKay Hatch had had enough of the profusion of profanities that his friends were using “to fit in.” He told his friends that if they wanted to hang out with him they had to stop cussing.
Hatch’s stand started something that caught on. Eventually 50 Pasadena High School students stood with him, and last summer held their inaugural No Cussing Club meeting. Nine months later a Web site was launched, which now identifies several chapters and 10,000 members across the U.S. “My mom and dad always taught me good morals, good values, and not cussing was one of them,” Hatch told the Associated Press when asked about his efforts. His parents are co-authors of the family handbook Raising a G-Rated Family in an X-Rated World.
Hatch’s efforts not only affected his school, but also his community. Hoping to promote civility throughout the city, South Pasadena (CA) Mayor Michael Cacciotti and the city council declared the first week in March as No Cussing Week. “It’s part of exercising self-discipline,” Cacciotti told the Pasadena Star-News. “It’s about treating each other with love and respect.”
No Cussing Clubs can be started at any school in America, or abroad for that matter. If you’re interested in starting a chapter at your school or organization, check out McKay’s website at www.nocussing.com
I keep thinking about how nice it would be if I didn’t have to cover my 3 year old daughter’s ears in public anymore…or even my own.
June 2nd, 2008
Did you hear the one about the college basketball coach who went barefoot during a game? He bared his SOUL.
OK, so while the pun may be weak, the coach’s move was anything but.
Ron Hunter, the head basketball coach at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, went barefoot during a game on January 25th to raise awareness for needy children in Africa. The move inspired donations of 110,000 pairs of shoes, which, along with a $20,000 gift, will be donated to the Charlotte, NC non-profit organization, Samaritan’s Feet. The shoes will be given to children in need around the world.
When Hunter first came up with the idea, his goal was to collect 40,000 pairs of shoes in honor of the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So, he coached the entire game against Oakland University without shoes. Some fans in attendance also went barefoot. Hunter was moved by the outpouring of support, saying, “When we started this I thought 40,000 was going to be tough. When they told me before the game we already had 100,000, honestly, I almost broke down in tears.”
The coach appeared on several television and radio shows to pitch his idea and encourage others to join him. Soon, the likes of Converse, Wal-Mart, Nine West and the Department of Homeland Security all jumped in. Now, more than 100,000 kids around the world are receiving what may be their first pair of shoes, all because one man had an idea and decided to act on it.
“There are hundreds of millions of children who don’t have shoes,” Coach Hunter said of the effort. “They suffer from diseases, infection and many other ailments because they don’t have shoes to wear. Needless to say, they can’t play sports without shoes. We have been given an incredible opportunity and platform as coaches to use our status as role models for others and help children in need.”
The coach, who almost never sits when coaching, said his feet were definitely sore, but that only served to inspire him further. “My feet hurt so bad,” he said after the game. “But imagine a child or a human going their whole lives without shoes.”
Great works often start with simple ideas. A dream in the heart of one man or woman can literally change a part of the world. For Hunter, his one act will affect the lives of at least 100,000 kids – many of whom may now not succumb to diseases that would have taken their limbs or lives. Imagine if large numbers of schools, corporations, churches, community organizations, or individuals did the same? Small acts of generosity really can change the world.
What one “small” thing can you dream that can make a huge difference? What will you do to act upon that dream?
If you are interested in supporting Coach Hunter’s cause – or just encouraging him for his example – you can contact him at rehunter@iupui.edu. Or you can contact Samaritan’s Feet at www.samaritansfeet.org or (866)833-SHOE.
I have a few pairs of shoes in my closet that I don’t use anymore. My wife also has some, and so do my kids. I think any of them would look great on the soles of a young person in Africa.
June 2nd, 2008
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
In today’s microwave culture, the true challenge, as Stevenson stated in the quote cited above, is to not judge ourselves by the harvest we reap. As parents, teachers, coaches, leaders, and mentors, each day we are planting seeds. Yet we are not guaranteed of seeing a harvest each day. So, we often tend to overlook the planting we have done in our haste to see the harvest. Yet it is not necessarily all about the harvest. A great truth tells us that while one will plant, another will water, and yet another harvest. You may or may not have the opportunity to reap the harvest in the lives you are investing into, nor even see that harvest reaped. However, the one thing you can do is make sure that your bag of seeds has been emptied and planted into receptive soil.
I recall the story of a woman who happened upon a grand tulip field in Norway; there were thousands of beautiful, brightly colored tulips spread across the vast mountainside. When the woman asked the landowner, an elderly woman, how she was able to produce such a magnificent landscape, the elderly woman replied, “I planted one bulb at a time.”
We are told in an old truth that the good farmer waits patiently for the harvest. What you have planted in the lives of others may take years to grow before it is mature and ready to be harvested. Be patient and wait to see the full fruit of your labor - it may one day end up like the field of tulips. And while you wait, judge yourself by the planting you are doing. End each day with your seedbag empty.