Kids Say the Darndest Things, Pt. 13

Last week in Discipleship, I asked if anyone remembered what we had talked about the week before. We're studying Love this semester, and the lesson was on Jesus washing his disciples' feet. There was a lot of silence, and one student said, "I forgot." "It was something Jesus did for his disciples," I told them in an effort to jog their memories. To give them another hint, Jonathan, my co-leader, lifted up and pointed to his foot. "Oh!" exclaimed the one who admitted forgetting. "Kissing people's shoes?"

Pass It On

Our Discipleship program for 8^th and 9^th grade boys meets on Tuesday nights, and we eat dinner together, study Scripture, and play games.  The UVA men’s basketball team was playing a home game against Virginia Tech several Tuesdays ago, and since my parents had generously donated three tickets, I thought I’d buy a couple more and we’d take the boys.  One of our regulars couldn’t make it, so I was scrambling to find someone to use his ticket.  Fortunately, I found an 11^th grader, who had been in Discipleship two years earlier and studied the same topics we’re studying now.

It was great for the boys to bond with him over the material, CHS soccer, and Camp Wabanna.  But what I was most excited about was that I asked him if he remembers any of the memory verses we gave him two years ago, and he said he still practices them!  It’s always nice to know that seeds you planted are still bearing fruit years later.

In case you’re wondering, these are our memory verses this year:

Study Series on The Apostle Paul: His Life and Letters

Romans 4:25

Romans 6:23

Romans 8:31-32 (beginning at “If God…”)

Study Series on Love

Matthew 22:36-40

John 13:34-35

Isaiah 53:5

1 Corinthians 13:6-8 (ending at “Love never fails.”)

Soccer, Reconciliation, and 5/8 Club (A Few of My Favorite Things)

Three years ago our 5/8 Club Summer Program was kicking off on Wednesday, June 23, 2010, and we had a huge schedule conflict.  At 10am, the United States Men's National Team was facing Algeria in a crucial World Cup match, it's last in group play.  At the same time, England and Slovenia were playing the other game in Group C.  If England beat Slovenia, the United States would have to win its game to advance. Lose or tie and go home.

My co-leader Richard and I knew we had to somehow work the soccer game into our Summer Program curriculum, because neither of us was willing to miss it.  That year's World Cup was hosted by South Africa (the first on the continent), and I had seen a fantastic short documentary on ESPN about Robben Island, the notorious South African prison where political dissidents, including Nelson Mandela, were held for years.  It told the story of how the prisoners long fought for, and were eventually given, the right to play soccer in prison.  Amazingly, this prison soccer league had an effect on the country of South Africa that endures to this day.  Rather than give the reason away, I highly encourage you to watch the 18-minute documentary yourself:



Back to June 23.  We started the Summer Program as we normally would, at the White House that Abundant Life owns, and had breakfast and talked about our expectations for the summer.  We then went to my house to watch the documentary and discuss it.  Afterward, the boys could watch the game in the living room or play board games in the kitchen.  The game was easily the most tense I've seen.  Despite threatening multiple times, neither team could find the back of the net, and the tension increased exponentially as the clock inched closer to the end of regulation.  They reached ninety minutes in a scoreless tie, with four minutes of stoppage time added (there is no extra time in group play).  England was wrapping up a 1-0 victory over Slovenia, so the U.S. was four minutes from being ousted in the first round, as they were in 2006.

Finally, 45 seconds into stoppage time, a breakthrough.  Goalkeeper Tim Howard collected the ball and threw a long pass to a streaking Landon Donovan down the right sideline.  Donovan took several touches and passed ahead to Jozy Altidore in the box, who crossed to Clint Dempsey.  Dempsey's hard shot was blocked by the Algerian keeper, but Donovan followed the play and buried the rebound into the lower left corner of the net.  Our living room erupted, like living rooms, bars, and outdoor screening areas around the country and the world.  Comically (but painfully), Richard jumped in the air and hit his head on the door frame.  This youtube video very well sums up the joy from that day, and you can read more about the U.S.'s epic 1-0 victory here.  It gives me goosebumps thinking back to it.  

You may be wondering, "Why is this post timely?"  Two Saturdays ago I had the pleasure to see Vusi Mahlasela perform in concert for the third time.  Vusi, known as "The Voice of South Africa," has long used his music to bring awareness to civil rights issues, including during South Africa's freedom movement.  The themes of ubuntu, forgiveness, reconciliation, and justice permeate his beautiful and important music.  Vusi performed my favorite song by him, "Sing to the People," at the 2010 World Cup Kick-Off concert, which you can watch below.  Enjoy!

Sweet Dreams

A week and a half ago I was driving five kids home from snow tubing at Wintergreen on a Friday night.  The youngest of them, a 5th grader, was fast asleep for most of the hour-long ride.  He awoke abruptly when we dropped off a leader, who slammed the door behind him.

"Where are we?  Is we home?"
I told him where we were.  A few minutes later...
"Are we missing someone?"
(He was asleep when we dropped off the person sitting next to him).
And when we arrived at his house and he got off the van...
"I had fun today."
"I'm glad you did," I told him.  "I had fun, too."

You can see pictures from our trip on our facebook page.

Kids Say the Darndest Things, Pt. 12

A few days ago I went to a housing complex where some of the current and former 5/8 boys live to do some home visits. Several kids were playing outside, including two 5/8 boys, and another boy who I've met but don't really know. They saw me and yelled, "Hey Dylan!" I said "hi" back. Then one of the 5/8 boys and the boy whose name I don't know had this exchange:

You don't know Dylan! 
Yes I do! 
What's his name then? 
Dylan!

Kids Say the Darndest Things, Pt. 11

This fall, the 5th and 6th grade boys are studying the Fruits of the Spirit in 5/8 Club. Last week, the boys were learning about peace. Will divided the boys into two groups and instructed them to act out a scene in which one of them creates conflict and the others act as peacemakers. In the first group, one of the boys was a bully. The boy whom he targeted told a teacher, who then took the bully to the principal. In the second group, three boys were tossing a ball in a circle. Another boy walked up to one of them and said, "Your mama is so fat, the only letters of the alphabet she knows are 'KFC'." The rest of the boys literally fell on the floor laughing, and even us leaders couldn't hold it together. The skit fell completely off track and we had to let the boys cool off before we had them restart from the beginning. At least no one can call our bible study boring!

Stars and Stripes

I have mixed feelings about patriotism; I think too often it promotes valuing one human life over another or one group of people over another.  American media coverage would have us believe that a natural disaster or civilians killed in a war overseas is somehow less tragic than stateside disasters or American soldiers killed in war, to give just two examples.  I’m not trying to minimize the tragedy of the latter, I just believe that God mourns for each life lost regardless of country of origin and we should too.

That said, I think there are positive aspects of patriotism – for example, trying to better your country because you believe in Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself (although not necessarily stopping at the borders), and being grateful for the opportunities our country has afforded us.  And so I was touched when, this past Saturday, I stood next to a 13-year-old Liberian refugee at the UVA football game and listened to him sing along to our National Anthem.  In a day and age when many can’t be bothered to remove their hat, place their hand over their heart, or sing much less be quiet and stand at attention, I was reminded how much many of us take for granted, from clean drinking water to reliable infrastructure to public education to individual freedoms to public safety and on an on.

I recounted this event to my roommate and he said only partially tongue-in-cheek, “I wish our country had more immigrants and less American-born people.”  Indeed, as many of you who have gone on foreign missions trips can attest, it is usually the least wealthy people in the world who are the most generous with what they have.  I don’t know all of the details of this child’s life before he came to the United States, but I have heard one of his fellow Liberian refugees, one year older than him, talk about the civil war that raged in their home country and how children were forced into fighting.  We see in the Bible but also know from experience that hardship and persecution make the blessings that follow all the more sweet.  And so, as I listened to this adolescent boy, with right hand over his heart, sing the Star Spangled Banner, I was truly proud to be an American.