The Life Long Lessons of Panther Pride!

On June 6, 2008 one of the most important pieces of my personal development and a tremendous source of my scholastic pride and identity faded into history and will exist no more except in the cherished memories of those of us who had the distinction and privilege to be part of the Mighty Black and Gold of Hanau American High School. As a result of a reallocation of U.S. Forces and the draw down of US troop levels in Europe, The Home of the Panthers closed its doors forever and the roar of the Panthers was silenced in an emotional ceremony highlighted in the Armed Forces paper the Stars and Stripes. It's hard to communicate or explain the special community that existed amongst the military personnel and their families who were stationed in Europe from the end of WWII until the collapse of the Soviet Bloc during the period which will be forever known as the Cold War.

In many ways, the communities that existed amongst the Cold Warriors formed the closest approximation to the American Dream of Unity that I have ever been privileged to experience. Thousands of miles away from home, and divided into sub-communities that were called Kasernes in Germany, American Military members and their families created a small town feel that was warm, inviting and supportive. Going to High School was a unique experience that I would not fully appreciate until finishing my High School career stateside where the school community was much more divided.

At our school, the children of community VIP's and what the civilian world might call management (officer's kids), walked side by side with the children of blue collar types and the formen (junior enlisted and Non-commissioned Officers) and formed life-long friendships that would be extremely more difficult to experience in corresponding social circles back in the "World" (U.S.) Friendships were formed without respect to race or culture in a world that produced some of the most spectacular varieties of ethnic togetherness one could imagine. One might see a boy whose father was African-American and whose mother was German, dating a girl whose father was Puerto Rican and whose mother was Korean. There were innumerable varieties, all kinds of friendships and everybody sat together in the lunch room. This unity showed itself especially strong during times of crisis. When Iran took US hostages and the rescue attempt to retrieve those hostages failed, there was no question about whether we should have attempted it nor was there any political division among us, only deep sorrow that the mission effort had fallen short. After all, those who died in the attempt were part of our extended military family.

At good ol' Hanau High we also had the typical joys of High School with a few special distinctions. Our Varsity football team was undefeated and unscored on during one unbelievable season. At the end of the following season when the team was placed in the toughest bracket possible because of their outstanding performance, they repeated undefeated and were only scored on a few of times over the course of the season. The JROTC program in which I was involved, mirrored this accomplishment, taking down the mighty Stuttgart High School JROTC Program in a drill team Championship causing everyone who competed and lost to us to wonder who this little team from Hanau High was. It was an impression so deep that a few years later when I entered West Point, one of the members of that fabulous Stuttgart team we managed to beat, shook my hand and refused to harass me though he was an upperclassman and totally within his rights to do so during my Plebe Year. Hanau High was a special time and place.

The import of this special place and time is indelible for me. My lifelong commitment to see people come together across barriers and my devotion to break down walls of division between people comes from having seen it work at HAHS. It can be done. Whether or not I see it repeated in the world at large, I will never relent from applying the lessons of togetherness I learned at Hanau in the Christian Community. The Apostle Paul said it in unmistakable terms - All are one in Christ Jesus. Until Jesus comes or I go to Him, I will doggedly pursue this vision of oneness in Christ that can model oneness for others. Thanks to my days as a Panther, I know it's not just an illusive dream, but a powerful and possible reality. I love you Hanau High, and I'll never forget the wonderful lessons I learned in your hallowed halls! Until next time...

Sam.

The Importance of Remembering the Day After

None of us wants to be forgotten. We have been created with a deep need to know that we are significant to someone somewhere and that our lives have contributed meaningfully to something beyond ourselves. Yesterday was Memorial Day - a day set aside not so much for mattress sales and barbeque's, but to remember those who gave what Abraham Lincoln so eloquently called, "The last full measure of devotion" in service to the nation. It is a remarkable thing that outstanding people at the very height of their giftedness, potentials and powers are so often called upon to put themselves in harms way, sometimes willingly running headlong into the ugliest human situations imaginable for the benefit of others who may never care to remember their Herculean sacrifices. Nevertheless, the sacrifices are made by these oft-forgotten heroes- sacrifices which forgo personal comfort, safety and long term well-being for the acquisition of a higher prize that will serve to bless the common good.

I remember a particular time when I had the opportunity to pay tribute to heroes who were out of sight, but not out of the minds of those who witnessed their sacrificial deeds. During my Junior year of High School, as a member of Task Force Hanau, the JROTC program to which I belonged while attending an American High School in Germany, our program was selected to travel to several out of the way grave sites of fallen soldiers who died in service of the nation, but were buried in lonely grave sites away from the larger American Forces cemeteries often frequented by tourists. We were very proud of the opportunity we had to fire salutes and to sound taps at these grave sites and did our very best to honor the fallen with excellence and reverence. nevertheless, the full significance of what we were doing and the work it took to allow us to pay that homage escaped me at the time. Our instructor, CW4 Donald M. Lesch, a WWII, Korea and Vietnam Veteran who invested so much of himself into youngsters like me, had to seek out and find these grave sites, obtain permission from the German government to conduct the ceremonies and coordinate with the US Armed Forces to make sure everything was done according to protocol and arrange for our logistics in traveling to the sites and back. There were no crowds, no abundance of flags, no great speeches, but there was our Task Force, a handful of veterans and a strong sense of the importance of the task in which we were involved.

As I think of the importance of remembering, I am moved to remember selfless service beyond the battlefield. There are individuals who thanklessly go about incredibly important daily tasks in which the impact is not fully understood. They serve for years, are taken for granted and pass on only to have someone look past their accomplishments without even a casual consideration. (Ever pass by the pictures of former members and pastors of your church and smirk at how out of style their clothing is while ignoring the work they did to build up a congregation that passed on a legacy which now blesses you?) In our current tendency to celebrate the new and downplay the old, we forget that all of us stand on the shoulders of many who have gone before us and served without notice or acclaim for our benefit.

The Christian Faith is built on this kind of sacrifice. We are reminded of Jesus' total embrace of this level of service in the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul sets the standard to which every Christian should aspire:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Christian tradition informs us that the 11 faithful Apostles took this standard seriously and each displayed a loving disregard of self so that others might be blessed by the Wonderful Message they carried. I am sure at the time they made their sacrificial decisions to serve, they had no idea that they would be remembered, but cared only that the message and the Messenger be remembered for the salvation of those to follow.

As you continue about your business today, the day after Memorial Day, I want to challenge you to remember. Remember that many people have suffered in anonymous service for your benefit and their sacrifices need to be honored. Remember also that God loves you and showed that love on a Roman cross over 2 thousand years ago through His Son, that you might receive the benefit of Eternal Life at no cost to you. We receive Glory at Jesus' expense. Don't limit your remembering to Memorial Day. Let Memorial Day serve a as launching point for a lifetime of humble gratitude that causes you to serve others with no regard for self and every regard for the blessings it can bring for years to come. Until next time...


Sam.

Loose Pastoral Lips

"Loose lips sink ships." They also damage credibility. One of the dangers that accompanies pastoral ministry is the irresponsible expression of pastoral opinion apart from biblical guidelines. This temptation is multiplied the longer one serves as a pastor of a congregation and the more comfortable one becomes with the pulpit ministry of that congregation. This week, two more preachers are in the spotlight for making remarks that have offended many and confused many more. Reverend John Hagee and Reverend Rod Parsley have made comments that have brought a firestorm of criticism on them as pastors and have caused their political endorsements to be rejected by presidential candidate John McCain. Senator McCain's rejection of the endorsement of these pastors naturally brings to mind Senator Barak Obabma's rejection of his pastor's public statements and has led many a pundit to evaluate the appropriateness of pastors issuing endorsements for political candidates. The question is a fair one, and one I'd like to carefully consider with you.

In many discussions I have had with friends and church members on this issue, the first thought that comes to mind is this: Jesus warns that people will give an account for every word that comes out of their mouths - every single word. Even the little stuff will be called into account. If this is true for people in general, then those in pastoral leadership must be even more careful. In an earlier entry, I stated that the book of James reminds Christian teachers and leaders that their standard for accountability is stricter than that of non-leading Christians. Pretty sobering when one considers that those outside of leadership are accountable for every single word! If you speak up in public, the judgment for what you say is stricter.

When claiming to speak for God, a preacher better be absolutely sure, with no margin for error, that the word they are proclaiming is from God. Just because a word rolls easily off of the tongue and is readily received by the congregation, doesn't mean that God has endorsed the message. Exposing the Biblical text for the edification of the church and the spreading of the Good News to those without faith is job one. Other uses of the pulpit increase the risk that the essential message will be compromised and that the purpose of the church and the pastor will be misunderstood.

Pastors must take care in equating the Old Testament office of Prophet with contemporary Christian pastoral responsibilities. The Prophets of the Old Testament were speaking in the context of a theocracy, with a unified religious system and a nation that acknowledged both of these authorities and lived in subjection to them. Though the Prophets certainly had words from the Lord for other nations outside of their authority, their message was targeted primarily towards those in a covenant relationship with the Living God. The message of salvation did at times hit its mark in the most ungodly of uncovenanted nations - the brutal city-state Nineveh, for example, which heard the word of the Lord through Jonah and repented. Nevertheless, the Bible instructs us that judgment begins with the "House of God" and we pastors would do well to make sure our own back yards are in order before we go pruning bushes in the yards of others.

Christians have a responsibility to engage culture and to bring the Message of Jesus Christ to bear on any society in which they live. The realization must be made, however, that even the most cherished politicians, whose platforms seem to line up with whatever convictions we may possess, are still politicians and by nature highly motivated by ambition and resigned to some degree to the art of compromise. This means that the same politician that courts Christian citizens and raises their hands in a church service is also courting all kinds of other people with all kinds of other agendas as well. This same individual has to convince all of us from all of our divergent backgrounds that our interest are precious and equally held by them even when our combined convictions are in direct opposition to each other. As the pastors we have mentioned have all learned, political candidates will not hesitate to "throw them under the bus" when their endorsement is perceived as a burden rather than an advantage.

Pastors must avoid making statements simply for shock value that can easily be taken out of context or misinterpreted. If a statement calls for 3 hours of commentary and a press release to help it make sense, it is probably better avoided altogether. All of us make misstatements, even when we're not trying to be particularly controversial, but I find the advise of a seminary professor particularly helpful to remember when trying to deal with difficult, controversial or political topics: "Don't dig up more snakes than you can kill!" In other words, make sure you can support, explain and defend everything you say when you preach - both within the context of your congregation and to others outside of it who may call for an explanation. For some perspective, remember that the same Gospel that speaks to US citizens in the context of our democratic form of government must also speak to our brothers and sisters in Christ who must engage their cultures within the context of repressive governments. The core of our message is solid enough to encompass that wide of a spectrum - our extreme and crowd pleasing commentating statements may not be.

Finally, we need to recall a few basic Scriptural admonitions that simply and eloquently offer us the guidance we need to avoid the pitfalls of Christian and pastoral "Hoof-in-Mouth Syndrome."

James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Matthew 12:34-37 - For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Let us strive to speak the kinds of words that expose a heart full of the love of Jesus and that justify a life committed totally to Him. Until next time...


Sam.

Proud Papa!

There are moments in parenting when you just can't help but be proud of your children. Of course I'm proud of my children just for being mine, but there are special times when your children accomplish something that just demands that you take a special pause to shine a light on their accomplishments and give to thanks to the Lord for the goodness He has shown through them. May of 2008 stands out as one of those moments in our family history that I need to give that special thanks to the Lord and to give some props to my children, particularly to my oldest two daughters!

This weekend, our family had the privilege of attending my oldest daughter's graduation ceremony as she completed her Masters Degree in Psychology from Roosevelt University, in Chicago. As we observed the ceremony and watched Coco walk across the stage to receive her diploma, my mind drifted to the first time I took Coco to school almost 20 years ago. It was a tropically hot Manila day, as usual, and Coco and I walked through the streets, holding hands, dodging traffic and chatting about "this, that and the other." When we arrived at her school, I noticed her friends were staring at me, amazed at this man they had heard about but never seen. Coco noticed too, and one of her bolder classmates broke the silence and asked, "Sino yan?" - "Who is he?" Coco responded matter-of-factly, "Daddy ko!" - "My Daddy!" When that didn't seem to satisfy her classmate's curiosity, she looked up at my head and added, "Pero Calvo!" - "But he's bald!" A knowing look and broad smile appeared and suddenly all was well. If she was Okay with my strange appearance, then it must have been Okay for them too!

When I think back to that time of Coco's early grade school years in the Philippines, I think of all the effort Luz expended to make sure that Coco and our second oldest Maris, attended the best schools possible and received an educational foundation that emphasized hard work, discipline, focus and respect - attributes that paid huge dividends and produced much fruit, which we were blessed to see this weekend. Though we couldn't attend my daughter Maris' graduation in South Carolina, we are equally proud of her and see the same fruit produced in abundant measure in her life and work and a continued harvest in our 2 younger children too.

Most of us are familiar with the Scripture that states, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and in his old age, he will not depart from it." This is not meant to be a guarantee, but a principle, and one that is somewhat debated among biblical linguists and scholars regarding the exact application and meaning. Nevertheless, the basic meaning is obvious enough. Children must be lovingly and passionately taught, not just passively and casually observed. Guided by the Scriptures, Luz and I have imperfectly, but enthusiastically attempted to guide our children in such a way that they would make sound decisions based on godly principles and choose the path that God would have them to follow. That doesn't mean that we have agreed with every decision they have made or that we need to, but it does mean that whatever path they may choose, we can be assured that their choice will be made from a righteous basis with a noble intent.

I watched my oldest girl walk across the stage, knowing her mother and I hadn't produced a clone of ourselves but that literally by the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ, we had raised a conscientious, motivated and dedicated woman who has her own walk with the Lord and her own calling to fulfil. It is this knowledge that has made me content and an especially proud papa. I just can't help it! Until next time...

Sam.

More Than Sound Bites

It was the first time I had felt truly angry before entering a pulpit. As I sat on the rostrum, I faced an audience filled mostly with grief and sorrow. In the midst of the grief-stricken congregation were dealers and gangsters - full of contempt and flagrant disrespect for the necessary solemnity of the occasion. In the rear of the assembly sat a few smugly detached individuals who had come to Ft. Myers, Florida all the way from Cleveland, Ohio to report on the final chapter of a life that had fallen prey to the harsh reality of inner-city America. Both of the emotionally detached groups came to witness a spectacle. I had no intention of allowing one to be created. Nevertheless, I also knew I had to tell the truth about "K" - the one I had flown from Cleveland to bury - and that by telling the truth, I would enrage the gangsters who glared at me with menacing stares and I would also furnish the Cleveland reporters with material that would be the talk of the town for days to come. As I concluded my remarks I glanced towards the rear of the chapel and saw the reporters writing with enthusiasm and glee. I then looked towards the section filled with dealers and gangsters and saw unbridled fury. A few hours later I would learn that my passionate attempt to tell the truth with love and sincerity was boiled down to two sound bites: The gangsters spread the word on the streets that I had said dealers and gangsters deserve to die. The reporters provided a headline to the Cleveland paper that read,"Preacher Says Cop Killer in Heaven!" For a time, my entire life and ministry was summarized by those two sound bites. I was criticized by talk radio, vilified by street hustlers and looked on with suspicion by all kinds of folks who had no idea what I stood for. All because of two powerful, but inaccurate, sound bites! This life experience taught me in a very dramatic way that we must work harder at ensuring that we don't reduce our evaluations of public figures to caricatures based on mere sound bites.

This past weekend, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's pastor, has been back in the news and confronting evaluations of controversial statements he has made from the pulpit. In 2 past blog entries, I have addressed these comments. I took issue with his most circulated statements in my blog and still take issue with those statements today. Many who have a deeper familiarity with Dr. Wright have said such criticisms are unfair and do not paint a complete picture of who he is. With those thoughts in mind, and in light of my own "sound bite experience," I'd like to share some thoughts I have after further investigation.

Rev. Wright has been called unpatriotic when he has served his country for 6 years in the US Naval Service as a Marine and a Sailor and has a granddaughter who is currently serving in Iraq as of the writing of this entry. He has been called uncaring, when he has spent decades ministering to the poor and needy in his community and throughout the world. He has shown himself to be a true renaissance man, gifted in the arts and letters - teaching as well as preaching and encouraging people to pursue the American Dream with excellence and elbow grease. Based on the evidence I have seen, his patriotism, industry and care for those in need seem to be well established. It is a disservice to him and to the pursuit of truth to paint him as an uncaring, un-American, unsympathetic "bogey-man". Nevertheless, words do have meaning and impact and as a preacher of the Gospel and a public figure, Rev. Wright can be called into account for the statements he has made.

Rev. Wright and I come from different theological schools of thought. The ways in which we engage the Biblical Text differ greatly as does much of the way we apply it in our preaching. As I have taken the time to listen to his comments in context, I believe that his criticisms of government are rather partisan, and more of a political critique of administrations with whom he takes issue than of government in general. What he describes as the fallibility of government I would broaden to the fallibility of humanity and the sinfulness of humankind which has been demonstrated by politicians - and preachers for that matter - of every ethnic and political stripe. In my estimation, Rev. Wright is guilty of the same malady that skews the view of many political pundits. Once a political side has been chosen or alliance made, that side can do no wrong, and the side which is opposed can do no right. When discussing matter of race in particular, partisan bias offers no help, no solutions and prolongs the pain that most people who pursue racial healing are seeking to relieve. It is becoming increasingly clearer to me that when it comes to matters of race, though it is easier to deal with sound bites than substance it is totally counterproductive to the efforts of people who truly seek to build understanding.

It also seems to me that both speakers and listeners have a responsibility when controversial subjects like race are on the table. Speakers - particularly preachers and especially preachers who know they are being recorded - have an obligation to speak in a way that not only takes into account the audience seated in front of them, but the potentially broader audience of people who may not share their particular life experience. A wonderful man of God who has now gone on to his Eternal Reward, once told me that the real gift in addressing issues of race in public speaking is seen in those who are able to confront a mixed audience of ethnic groups regarding their shortcomings in pursuing unity while at the same time inspiring them to continue to press on together in achieving understanding. This kind of pursuit takes a willingness to engage in dialogues that are deep, complex, time consuming and exhausting. In other words, it takes hard work and perserverance.


In one sense, Rev. Wright has done us all a favor. He has once again exposed the gap of understanding on issues of race in this nation. If we can display the grit to keep coming to the table in love, and to attempt to confront even the ugliest scenarios in building bridges of understanding, perhaps we can make some progress. In any case, as listeners we must move beyond sound bites and carefully assess what a speaker says in the rightful context and not carelessly move to conclusions that digress beyond a speaker's actual words. As speakers, we must work hard not to set up a sound bite feeding frenzy with careless rhetoric that destroys the very progress we claim we are attempting to build. Otherwise, we will continue to be pundits full of sound and fury signifying nothing. Until next time...


Sam.

The Tracks of Our Tears

This past weekend Danica Patrick became the first woman to win a major Indy Series race with her victory in the Indy Tokyo 300. Though small in stature, Ms. Patrick has a reputation for being as tough as nails on the track. She's not afraid of a challenge and she's aggressive enough to physically get in another competitor's face after a race if unsafe driving or unsportsmanlike conduct has been manifested. For that reason, it came as somewhat of a surprise when Ms. Patrick received her trophy as the winner and did something not normally seen in Indy racing, especially by her - she cried. As one might imagine, her tears elicited a few commentaries, one of which most appropriately pointed out that there have been numerous instances of tearful victories in the history of American sports. Michael Jordan wept after winning his first NBA title. Tiger Woods cried after winning his first victory after his father's death from cancer. In the alternate Hollywood universe of fictitious sports legends, even the certifiably iron-jawed Rocky Balboa not only cried after his first very close split decision loss to Apollo Creed, but literally howled after his victorious rematch effort with the immortal shout "ADRIAN!!"

Of course, in real life, the events that bring us to tears bring out the best and the worst in us, transform our personal histories and shape our personalities and life views. Last night, Luz and I settled down from a fairly busy day and watched the Oscar-winning bio-pics "Ray" and "Walk the Line" - the respective life stories of Ray Charles and Johnny Cash. The lives of both men pivoted on the tragic losses of a brother during their childhoods - Ray Charles' younger brother and Johnny Cash's older brother. Both men unfairly blamed themselves for their brothers' deaths and their survivor's guilt haunted each of them for years, sending them into drug use and other empty pursuits in search of healing. Because of their destructive behavior both men teetered on the brink of disaster before coming to the realization that their pain and their tears had more power when used to connect and sympathize with others. Continuing to vent out of self-pity or hopeless despair not only didn't help them to heal, but dishonored the lives of the loved one's whose memories they so earnestly cherished.

We get a glimpse of the healing power of tears in an event shown in the movie "Ray". After many years of refusing to play his music in the state of Georgia where he was not allowed to perform before integrated audiences even after attaining world-wide fame, Mr. Charles is honored by the Georgia State legislature. Not only does the state offer an official apology, but his song, "Georgia on my Mind" is named as the official state song! Ray accepts the honor and apology and goes on to dedicate the rest of his life to serving others, giving an estimated 20 million dollars as well as countless hours of public service to those in need.

In like manner, Johnny Cash emerged from his personal dungeon with a new lease on life. Though only alluded to in the movie of his life, Johnny Cash's transformation as more than a "power of positive thinking" moment, but a true salvation experience. Mr. Cash not only realized his own limitations and the hopelessness of his self-centered pursuits, but he more importantly discovered the boundless forgiveness and restoration available through faith in Jesus Christ. His rescue immediately gave him a passion for rescuing others and led to his focus the rest of his natural life on those who needed hope but had been all but abandoned by those who said they had it. His new direction can be most clearly understood in the lyrics of his song "The Man in Black".

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

The faith behind Johnny Cash's heart to comfort others is wonderfully explained in the apostle Paul's encouraging words in his second letter to the Corinthians:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

So, don't be afraid to show the tracks of your tears. I challenge you, however, to allow your testimony of tears - whether tears of joy or sorrow - to bring out your best. Remember, Jesus wept just before raising Lazarus from the dead. That same Jesus lives today and can change your tears of despair into tears of joy and tears of help. Then you can show others the Way to live beyond themselves and themselves enter into God's Comfort Zone which is available to anyone and everyone who asks. Until next time...


Sam.

Barney Rides Again!

Early this Sunday morning I dropped off our daughter Joana at her High School, Grosse Pointe North, to embark on a 4-day Choir trip to New York City. She and her schoolmates will not only be treated to see the sights, take in a couple of Broadway Shows and have the total NYC tourist experience, they will have the honor and privilege of singing in Carnegie Hall! Joana has been away before on church youth retreats and regional school events, but this trip is the opening of a new chapter - those preliminary signs that another Jackson Eagle will all too soon be leaving our comfortable and protected nest and heading out on her own. As this thought whirled around in my head, I was comforted by another strange idea - "At least I don't have to deal with Barney anymore!" When Joana was much younger, that overpoweringly Pleasant Purple Reptile lived up to his species name, Tyrannosaurus Rex - King Tyrant - by ruling our home with a Velvet purple fist for almost 2 years as Joana went from toddler to elementary aged child. Not a day went by during that period without Barney's effusive charms being in full display for hours of video on end! Any attempt to squelch his reign was met by a hysterical scream for , "BARNEY!! BARNEY!!" The King had his way again! I remember the absolute joy I felt on the fateful day Barney's reign ended. "Daddy" Joana began matter-of-factly, "I'm too big for Barney. He's for babies and I'm a big girl now!" If I had been thinking clearly, I would have realized the bitter-sweet nature of the moment. Instead, I was so consumed with Barney loathing that I missed the true significance of the moment and almost jumped with glee in celebration of his retirement form our home. Barney was through, and our lives would be back to normal!

13 years later, this Barney memory was fresh in my mind as I drove away from Grosse Pointe North High School on Sunday and contemplated Joana's amazing transformation from a child to a young woman with so much to offer and so much to enjoy. I also smugly considered that now that we have another toddler, how fortunate we were that kid's programming had so much more variety and sophistication now and Barney was old news - or so I thought.

Joana's being away has allowed our daughter Victoria to grow up some on her own and to establish a little independence. She has quit the bottle, insisted on helping us with household chores and shown a greater appreciation for the variety of ways she can choose to learn and be entertained. She can choose everything from Noggin to Playhouse Disney to the Nick, Jr. with countless choices of wholesome "edutainment" that we can all enjoy together. An amazing variety of programming available at the touch of a button. Nothing could have prepared me for the programming choice she made on Sunday evening as we settled down for some rest and some family TV time together.

"Mommy and Daddy", she stated confidently, "I want to watch Barney!" "OK Sweetheart", I replied, "we'll tune it to...BARNEY!" "What do you mean BARNEY?" My brain had suddenly locked up and I was in disbelief. Attempting to recover, I blurted out, "DO you mean Lem Barney, the Detroit Lions legend?" She looked at me with the strangest look and simply said, "No Daddy, Barney the Purple Dinosaur!" I turned to Luz and asked, "How did she hear about him? You mean, he's still on TV?" Luz calmly responded, "I guess so. After all, On Demand has a ton of classic programming including children's standards, so why wouldn't they include a program as classic as Barney?" I was speechless. Somehow, Barney was riding high again and now Victoria had 24/7 access to him via On Demand programming. How did he do it? How could he manage such a comeback?

After what seemed to be an eternity of the Purple One, when it was bedtime, Victoria asked for story from her Children's Bible and we opened up to the account of Jesus and his love for children. It's a very familiar passage where children rush to Jesus with delight and the disciples recoil in horror attempting to mute their fun and to keep Jesus at arms length. Jesus rebukes the disciples and forcefully commands them to let the children come to Him because their child-like faith is the kind of faith God desires for those who serve Him. Then Jesus embraces and blesses the children. When I settled down with Victoria and watched Barney on the video, it occurred to me that Barney has a wonderfully welcoming demeanor that children recognize and are drawn to. Barney is always ready to play, teach and to affirm in a way that is vital to a child's well-being. As I looked at Victoria's young face and thought back to Joana's face at that age, I realized, contrary to my personal preferences, I needed to encourage her enjoyment of Barney, not resist it. In fact, as the weather warmed up, I even found myself emulating Barney and joined Victoria at the playground, swinging on swings and sliding on slides - really acting like Barney - without the Dinosaur suit, of course! The importance of this attitude really hit me when Victoria and I got home. As we approached the end of the day, Victoria ran and got her children's Bible and asked me to read another story about Jesus. She was eager to hear what the Bible said, because she had seen it applied in very simple terms in our time on the playground Barney style. Imagine - a theological application from a purple dinosaur! So now, I am thankful for all the rich variety the Lord has allowed in my life, including that Purple Reptile who always has time for children. If Barney can carve out some time for kids, we can too! Let the children come to you and bless them all you can. You'll never regret the silly, child-like moments that yield a lifetime of healthy, loving grown-up fruit. Until next time,


Sam.