Being part of the solution . . .
During the early 1950's my youth group
at church would often sing these words from a song in our
hymnal:
Brighten the corner where you are,
Brighten the corner where you are.
Someone far from harbor you may
Lead cross the bar.
Brighten the corner where you are.
These words have come to mind many times in the nearly fifty years since I first sang them.
It is not an easy thing for us to be the light which guides others. often our light shines dimly and insufficiently even to light our own way, let alone that of others.
I am sure that the author of those words found inspiration in Matthew 5:15 which reads, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds..."
A celebration of good deeds was the purpose of a gathering of teenagers in a Fort Worth, Texas Baptist church last Wednesday.* In a bizarre, mindless massacre several of them were gunned down.
Youth who had participated in their gathering around the flag pole earlier that day, met together to hear a Christian rock group perform and focus on positive actions and express their faith. Some of them did not leave that service on September 15, but their spirit, their courage is alive and strong today.
From them we have a lesson which must be brought to life today in each of our lives. There lives are the light that has been sent to brighten our lives. Their deeds are our guide.
On Friday, September 17, students at Fort Worth's Brewer High School held a special assembly honoring those who were slain. Jered Gabbert a senior class officer was among several students who stayed up most of the previous night putting the program together.
While discussing the assembly program, Gabbert said, "As long as we can stick together and be friends, there's always good that comes out of bad."
Wisdom from a seventeen year old. Good can always come out of bad. Yes, it can when we look for it. It is there.
On Saturday a minister visited the freshman football player who survived his gunshot wounds but is not paralyzed. He related that as he looked into the eyes of that boy he saw only love and forgiveness.
Love and forgiveness shone forth, even through a senseless action has altered his entire life and ended that of fellow high school students.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just the first step." On Friday at the Brewer High School assembly the student body took the first step in faith. They signed pledges that they would be "part of the solution and not part of the problem." They pledged that they would return love with hate; they would return compassion for suffering. They pledged to be part of the solution that America is seeking. They pledged that they wold make a positive difference.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead penned that thought. Those Brewer High School students are a small group of high school students, thoughtful world citizens.
Their peers in Littleton, Colorado signed a similar pledge at Columbine High School last spring when their classmates were slaughtered on April 21. Are we learning the lesson that these young people are teaching?
A pledge to work together to end senseless actions. We have not had a tragedy in our community such as has happened in cities across our country during the last nine months. We are thankful for that. But we have witnessed the grief so many have felt, our hearts have been opened to those who have suffered.
I believe we must reflect on all of this very carefully. Two issues, the need for additional classroom space and the school resource officer, have been the focus of news reporting in the past year. Both issues center on youth-on their education today; on their productivity and good citizens in the future.
In both of these considerations we seemed to have become confused. In regard to the facility needs, month after month derogatory statements have been made about our superintendent of schools, our school board president and other board members. Their characters have been discredited. They have become the issue. We seemed to have forgotten that what we were called to consider was the well-being of our youth.
The discussion was about providing adequate facilities for their education. How did the focus get shifted to individuals? It isn't about individuals. It is about facility needs.
Brigham Young said, "We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do." Do we wish the youth of this community to shamelessly ridicule each other, as we have shamelessly ridiculed out adult peers?
By doing this, we are part of the problem. By tolerating this week after week, month after month, you and I are part of the problem. By allowing this we have escalated the problem. We are responsible.
Jered Gabbert said we have to stick together, we have to be friends. Do we have the courage to brighten our corner? Can we make a pledge to be part of the solution in El Dorado Springs? Can we light the lamp of change?
(written ca. September 18, 1999)
______________
*At Wedgworth Baptist Church, September 15, 1999. N.B.
Brighten the corner where you are,
Brighten the corner where you are.
Someone far from harbor you may
Lead cross the bar.
Brighten the corner where you are.
These words have come to mind many times in the nearly fifty years since I first sang them.
It is not an easy thing for us to be the light which guides others. often our light shines dimly and insufficiently even to light our own way, let alone that of others.
I am sure that the author of those words found inspiration in Matthew 5:15 which reads, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds..."
A celebration of good deeds was the purpose of a gathering of teenagers in a Fort Worth, Texas Baptist church last Wednesday.* In a bizarre, mindless massacre several of them were gunned down.
Youth who had participated in their gathering around the flag pole earlier that day, met together to hear a Christian rock group perform and focus on positive actions and express their faith. Some of them did not leave that service on September 15, but their spirit, their courage is alive and strong today.
From them we have a lesson which must be brought to life today in each of our lives. There lives are the light that has been sent to brighten our lives. Their deeds are our guide.
On Friday, September 17, students at Fort Worth's Brewer High School held a special assembly honoring those who were slain. Jered Gabbert a senior class officer was among several students who stayed up most of the previous night putting the program together.
While discussing the assembly program, Gabbert said, "As long as we can stick together and be friends, there's always good that comes out of bad."
Wisdom from a seventeen year old. Good can always come out of bad. Yes, it can when we look for it. It is there.
On Saturday a minister visited the freshman football player who survived his gunshot wounds but is not paralyzed. He related that as he looked into the eyes of that boy he saw only love and forgiveness.
Love and forgiveness shone forth, even through a senseless action has altered his entire life and ended that of fellow high school students.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just the first step." On Friday at the Brewer High School assembly the student body took the first step in faith. They signed pledges that they would be "part of the solution and not part of the problem." They pledged that they would return love with hate; they would return compassion for suffering. They pledged to be part of the solution that America is seeking. They pledged that they wold make a positive difference.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead penned that thought. Those Brewer High School students are a small group of high school students, thoughtful world citizens.
Their peers in Littleton, Colorado signed a similar pledge at Columbine High School last spring when their classmates were slaughtered on April 21. Are we learning the lesson that these young people are teaching?
A pledge to work together to end senseless actions. We have not had a tragedy in our community such as has happened in cities across our country during the last nine months. We are thankful for that. But we have witnessed the grief so many have felt, our hearts have been opened to those who have suffered.
I believe we must reflect on all of this very carefully. Two issues, the need for additional classroom space and the school resource officer, have been the focus of news reporting in the past year. Both issues center on youth-on their education today; on their productivity and good citizens in the future.
In both of these considerations we seemed to have become confused. In regard to the facility needs, month after month derogatory statements have been made about our superintendent of schools, our school board president and other board members. Their characters have been discredited. They have become the issue. We seemed to have forgotten that what we were called to consider was the well-being of our youth.
The discussion was about providing adequate facilities for their education. How did the focus get shifted to individuals? It isn't about individuals. It is about facility needs.
Brigham Young said, "We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do." Do we wish the youth of this community to shamelessly ridicule each other, as we have shamelessly ridiculed out adult peers?
By doing this, we are part of the problem. By tolerating this week after week, month after month, you and I are part of the problem. By allowing this we have escalated the problem. We are responsible.
Jered Gabbert said we have to stick together, we have to be friends. Do we have the courage to brighten our corner? Can we make a pledge to be part of the solution in El Dorado Springs? Can we light the lamp of change?
(written ca. September 18, 1999)
______________
*At Wedgworth Baptist Church, September 15, 1999. N.B.
Posted: Mon - January 30, 2006 at 04:42 PM
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Published On: Jan 30, 2006 04:42 PM
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Published On: Jan 30, 2006 04:42 PM