Yield

As a runner, I have encountered countless situations in which automobiles have not yielded to me. Unfortunately, the addition of a jogging stroller and even a double BOB (BOB is a type of jogging stroller - Baby On Board - and the double means that two kids can fit in it), did nothing to increase my yield inducing effect on drivers. Drivers do not yield to pedestrians.

Image from Creative Commons.

Now, I'm not trying to make myself a target or even say that I am never oblivious to a biker or walker because of their infrequency. I am also guilty of the arrogance that comes from operating a huge machine on four wheels - things that are smaller should watch out for me. But, because of being on the opposite end of the transportation food chain, I am always amazed by how few people yield to pedestrians; it has given me greater awareness of foot, bike and other smaller forms of traffic.

Yielding is counter-cultural. We are taught to believe in survival of the fittest. Capitalism promotes competition and encourages acquiring as much wealth as possible. Bigger houses. More cars. Lots of stuff. Instant gratification. Faster downloads. Immediate pleasure. Quick fixes. We are taught to win arguments and not to allow someone to get the upper hand. Assume control of power and give as little of it up as possible.

Yield? Me? Isn't that everyone else's job?

Since I am a principal of a school, it may sound hypocritical to hear me talk about yielding. How often does a leader have to yield? How many times do I have to submit to someone else's ideas, decisions, emotions, etc.? By default, those under my leadership yield to my direction.


So, yield? Really?

Let it be.

Yes, even leaders can yield. In fact, leaders should yield. This can be made manifest in their approach to others, in how decisions are made and in their overall leadership style. This does not make a leader weak. Using Christ as the model, He tells us,

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10: 43 - 45).

It is a message that, even outside of the realm of my role as a leader, I have received often over the past year. Let it be. Yield. Give in. Let go and let God. Not my will, but His be done. Obey.

I yield every time I walk into the front door of our home and Elizabeth asks me to be Elmo or Mr. Noodle or Sid the Science Kid or New Lady (who is supposed to be an old lady, but Elizabeth decided to call "new") or Mickey or Doc or just about anyone except Daddy. I yield every time I eat the small french fries or let Catherine wield a spoon all by herself (and in so doing, procuring heaps of ice cream that any adult would have trouble fitting in their mouths). I yield every time I make a concerted effort to leave work at a decent hour so as to assist and relieve my wife from the rigors of caring for our children and keeping our house and home.

We yield any time we put the welfare, desires, needs, wishes, and / or well-being of others before our own. We yield any time we allow our children to try things on their own, despite a knowledge that messes, accidents, sloppiness and extra cleaning (even if cleaning was the allowed exercise) will result. We yield every time we bite our tongues instead of lashing back at someone who has lashed at us. We yield every time we sleep on an email before pressing send. We yield every time we recognize that God's will for our lives is so much more AMAZING than even our heart's greatest desire. We yield when we deny ourselves some sort of pleasure during the season of Lent. We yield every time we acknowledge that God is the source of everything good and true in our lives and that He has blessed us abundantly. We yield every time we submit to His will during those times of tragedy, hardship, pain and loss.

In the words of Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw:

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of
saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession
brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives include everything.
This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one
day will grow. We water the seeds already planted
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of
liberation in realizing this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's
grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the
difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not
messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

This prayer, most commonly known as the Prayer of Archbishop Oscar Romero, proclaims the importance of yielding. Yielding to God's plan, to God's grace, to God's power, to God's love. Yielding to the help of others. Yielding to the fact that a beautiful prayer could be thought to have been written and spoken by someone else.

Let go. Let God. Yield.

Give in to a present that is truly a gift and a future that is not your own.

Let it be. Let it be. Let it be.

*in memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who died on March 24, 1980

The Ox, the Wheel and the Cart

"We are what we think. What we are is the result of our thoughts. With our thoughts we make our world. Speak or act with an impure mind and trouble will follow you as the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart. Speak or act with a pure mind and happiness will follow you as unshakeable as your shadow."

-Buddha from the Dhammapada

Dr. Martin Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, argues that the main difference between optimists and pessimists is how they explain setbacks to themselves. Optimists see the setbacks as temporary, limited in effect and have a clear understanding of their responsibility for or control over the setback. Pessimists, on the other hand, consider the setback to be permanent, far reaching, and entirely their own fault. The setback for the pessimist is debilitating; for the optimist it is merely a bump in the road.

Furthermore, Dr. Seligman concludes that optimistic people are more successful than pessimists. This, in turn, leads to either greater optimism (and success) or pessimism (and failure).

Being optimistic is difficult. Life is extremely difficult. We get tired, worn out, taken advantage of, treated unfairly, unkindly, unjustly and just plain rudely. We make mistakes. We sin. We do things poorly or at least not well. We let others down. We argue. We fight. We lie. We cheat, beg, steal, complain - we give in to negativity because there is so stinking much of it. 

But, the difference between a sinner and a saint isn't that the saint never falls in the mud. Instead, it is that the saint, after falling, picks him/herself up and keeps trying. The setback is momentary. Soap and water cleanse. Hope abounds. 

Fear is another element that keeps us from optimism. We are so afraid of failure that it keeps us from even trying something new, something challenging, something that does not guarantee our success. Confined and comforted by the safety of mediocrity, we often become jaded, bitter, jealous and more negative. We become conditioned to living with this negativity, continuing this vicious cycle of pessimism. 

Being positive is a mindset. It's an attitude. It's an approach. A lens through which we decide to view our world. Far from a pollyannic and naive perspective, this method challenges us to correct problems but not to dwell on them. To vent but not to complain. To be thankful for what we have instead of jealous over what we don't.

Beauty is everywhere if we have the eyes to see it. Blessings. Miracles. Joy. Hope. Excitement. If we have the eyes to see them.

As an experiment stop reading and look around your room, noticing all of the things that are blue.

Take 30 seconds to commit them to memory.

After you read this and without looking back up, close your eyes and try to name as many things that are red as you can.

(EYES CLOSED)

Could you name any? 1? 2 - 3? 5? Look up and notice how many red things there are (look to the right on this screen!). See how they were right in front of your eyes, in locations that you spend lots of time and attention. But, notice how they went unnoticed because of your lens. 

Happiness is a choice, not a by-product. 

With these concepts in mind, I am asking all of us to become optimists. Whichever path we choose, optimism or pessimism, will ultimately become our reality. Therefore, we must choose wisely. We must choose to act instead of react. We must choose to become problem-solvers instead of problem-spotters. We must choose to become up-standers instead of by-standers. We must choose to achieve excellence instead of just accepting mediocrity.

I know which path I will choose; I invite you to travel along with me...and my shadow. 

Why Catholic Education? (Part 3)

The FINALE!

As I close, I'd like to issue a challenge. A key component to teaching is to have students self-assess and reflect upon their learning at the end of a unit of study. As such, I'll leave you with two questions. Together we will look into an answer to the first. The second will be yours for reflection. 

1. What is a good Catholic? 

2. Are you a good Catholic? 

Many times this evening I've used the phrase "good Catholic" to describe the end product of Catholic education but I've yet to define it. I propose that as an answer to the first question, we look no further than the successor of Peter, Pope Francis I. 

We all know Pope Francis's story: he is the first Pope from the New World - Latin America. First Jesuit. First Pope to take the name Francis. He moved out of the papal residence and into a humble apartment. He walks and takes public transportation. He cooks for himself. 

From his first act as Pope to everything between then and now he has infused our Church with a new energy, a revitalization, a refocus, a Resurrection of sorts as if he had been planning what he would do when he became Pope all of his life. Time Magazine's Person of the Year - he did more with 9 months than I've done with all 418 of mine combined - has given all of us a new perspective, a new hope, a new way of looking at ourselves, our world and most importantly our Church.

He has given us all a Catholic education. He has taught us what it means to be a good Catholic.

1.2 billion Catholics. The largest ongoing historical institution in the world. He has taught us how to treat others. He has taught us how to be proud of our Catholic faith. He has taught us how to be in the world but not of the world. He has challenged capitalism and forced us to see the poor and marginalized with new and fresh eyes - as people. He has taught us how to remain true to both Church teaching and the Gospel message of love. He embraces a battlefield Church and prefers to be out among the sick, the lonely, the desolate, the sinners as opposed to remaining clean, comfortable and holy up in Church steeples, Papal residences and ivory towers. "I prefer a Church which is bruised," the Pope admits, "hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security." The authenticity of his humility and poverty inspire.

He practices what he preaches and is including himself in the reform he is urging us to embrace- "Since I am called to put into practice what I ask of others, I too must think about a conversion of the papacy." He isn't just challenging the Church or the world, he is a part of this realignment. 

Why Catholic education? Because what the world needs is more good Catholics. People who love more. People who do more to help others. People who see through the lies of our world straight into the truth of the Gospel. We need good Catholics who are more compassionate, patient, humble, forgiving, tolerant. Much like our new Pope, we need not be worried about labels like conservative or liberal. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was a revolutionary. Let us live in accordance with His teachings without fear and with much joy! Let us be faithful. Let us be authentic. Imagine Churches filled with good Catholics. Imagine our worship. Imagine the music. Imagine if the people in the pews felt an intense burning desire to participate with full, conscious and active participation throughout Mass and in life! Imagine the vocations that could arise and in turn, the homilies and vocations that would result from a Church on fire with God's love! Imagine a Church whose members desired above all else to make God known, loved and served!

Imagine a world filled with good Catholics.

Can you see it? Can you envision it? Can you hear what it sounds like? Taste it? Smell it? Can you feel it?

Together we can make this vision a reality. Together we are making this vision a reality every day, with every student, because of each and every one of our Catholic schools.

Why Catholic education? It can do so much more than raise test scores, improve behavior and offer a faith-based education. Catholic education can create good Catholics...and a few good Catholics can change the world. 

Why Catholic Education? (Part 2)

This is part 2 of 3 from my Catholic Foundation speech: 

To answer the question "why Catholic schools" from a global perspective I turn to our Holy Father, Pope Francis I. In his apostolic exhortation, "Evangelii Gaudium" or Joy of the Gospel, our new Pope cites the following problems facing our Church today:

1. A decline of the Family.

2. A decline in Vocations.

3. A decline of Society in general.

We need Catholic schools because of the deterioration of the family. Pope Francis claims that the family, the fundamental cell of society, is undergoing a crisis. Families, the place where, Francis writes, "we learn to live with others", where "parents pass on the faith to their children" are in crisis. "Growing number of parents," according to Pope Francis, "do not bring their children for baptism or teach them how to pray." Marriage, in the words of our Pope, "tends to be viewed as a form of mere emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will."

We all know the divorce rate in this country. Families in our world are broken, confused, hurting, lonely, and in some cases even violent or abusive. Our Catholic schools, often fondly referred to as families or homes, must be places of safety, stability, structure and love for our students. Students must truly come to see, despite the disfunction they may witness at home, a different approach to treating others because of their time spent in our Catholic schools. 

The Congregation for Catholic Education wrote in its 1988 document, The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School (#25):

From the first moment that a student sets foot in a Catholic school, he or she ought to have the impression of entering a new environment, one illumined by the light of faith, and having its own unique characteristics...an environment permeated with the Gospel spirit of love and freedom.

If our Catholic schools can offer to students a true picture of familial love and a deeper understanding of the role of the family within the Catholic Church, if we can inspire students to enter into the Sacrament of Marriage with greater fidelity, maturity and reliance upon Jesus, if we can inspire better Catholics, we can take back the family.

Our Catholic schools must create good Catholics; in doing so, stronger families will result. 

We need Catholic schools to spark a rebirth in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Pope Francis acknowledges this decrease stating that it is often due "to a lack of contagious apostolic fervour in communities which results in a cooling of enthusiasm and attractiveness." Furthermore, Francis believes that because of this, "many people feel disillusioned and no longer identify with the Catholic tradition."

But, there is hope. Pope Francis asserts:

Wherever there is life, fervour and a desire to bring Christ to others, genuine vocations will arise...the fraternal life and fervour of the community can awaken in the young a desire to consecrate themselves completely to God and to the preaching of the Gospel.

If our Catholic schools can simultaneously catechize and evangelize, if we can bring a passion for Christ to our students and create a culture that students come to know that God's desire for them is more magnificent than their heart's greatest desire, if we can inspire better Catholics, we can inspire more vocations to the religious life.

Our Catholic schools must create good Catholics; in doing so, more vocations will result.

Third, from a global perspective, we need Catholic schools because of the problems facing society today. Our Pope cites the following "deficiencies which need to be healed by the Gospel: machismo, alcoholism, domestic violence, low Mass attendance, fatalistic or superstitious notions which lead to sorcery and the like." Francis adds to this list of difficulties: the influence of the communications media, a relativistic subjectivism, unbridled consumerism which feeds the market and a lack of pastoral care among the poor." We might want to add to the list school violence, intolerance, and political polarization.

"In response," our Pope tells us, "we need to provide an education which teaches critical thinking and encourages the development of mature moral values...The Church," he continues, "has acted as a mediator in finding solutions to problems affecting peace, social harmony, the land, the defense of life, human and civil rights, and so forth." Pope Francis even includes Catholic schools as a part of the solution, "And how much good has been done by Catholic schools and universities around the world!" 

What the world needs is more good Catholics; we can create more good Catholics with Catholic Schools. 

• It is when the Catholic school adds its weight, consciously and overtly, to the liberating power of grace, that the Catholic school becomes the Christian leaven in the world (#84, The Catholic School, the Sacred Congregation of Catholic education).

Why Catholic schools? Because Catholic schools can change the world.

Why Catholic Education? (Part 1)

Yesterday, I was privileged and blessed to have had the opportunity to speak at the Diocese of St. Petersburg's Catholic Foundation Celebration dinner, an event to raise funds for tuition assistance for students at our Catholic Schools.

This is an excerpt of my speech (Part 1 of 3):

Why Catholic education? It seems like such a simple question, and one that I'm sure most of us in this room would answer with affirmations such as: faith-based education, stronger academics, better discipline, and maybe a service orientation. Catholic families need to have a faith based alternative to public and other private forms of education.

My responses, when Bishop Lynch first asked me the question, resembled those as well. But, as I continued to probe and search for an answer to the question why have I committed myself to the cause of Catholic education, I couldn't settle for these visible and apparent advantages to Catholic schools. So, as an answer to the question "Why Catholic education?" I'd like to give two responses, one from a personal perspective and the other from a global one. Then, to close, I want to move us into a new way of thinking about our Catholic faith as it pertains to Catholic education and its future.

From a personal perspective, my commitment to Catholic education stems from both an evangelical and catechetical component.

During my sophomore year of college at the University of Notre Dame, my faith had naturally swelled into a desire to use my gifts and talents to make the world a better place. I vividly remember sitting in a moral theology class that winter and being struck by a moment of clarity. My sophomore year of college had few such moments, so the poignancy of this one continues to resonate with me. I sat in class and wondered why I was there. Not in moral theology class but in college and specifically at Notre Dame. With the conviction that only 20 year olds can muster, I thought, "I'm going to drop out of school and go volunteer somewhere. People are hurting, suffering, in need of so many and various forms of assistance, why am I wasting time in college?" From a moral standpoint, I thought, how was it fair that I sat in such academic and spiritual luxury while there was so much good work to be done? Wasn't it time for me to do something?

Then, as only a 20 year old's mind can do, I jumped back to reality and to class. Fr. Mark Poorman, the class's professor, was one of the rectors in my dorm and someone with whom I had developed a close relationship. He was my confessor and quasi spiritual advisor. And despite that momentary daydream, he was a darn good teacher.

It was at that moment that I realized what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to teach. My mind raced to another one of the great teachers that I had been blessed to have - Fr. Michael Brunovsky, a Benedictine monk - and how much he had inspired me as a teacher throughout high school. I could do that, I thought. I could make a difference, I could change the world by teaching. From an evangelical standpoint, it was at that point that I became motivated to live out my faith in the form of and after the model of Jesus, the Teacher.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He has commanded us. (Mt: 28: 19)

Fast forward 7 years and I'm back at Notre Dame in the Alliance for Catholic Education's Leadership Program. At that point I had worked, zealously, in Catholic schools for five years and had been led to discern a possible shift in my educational role from teacher to administrator. Feeling somewhat called, but not quite convicted I wanted to leave the classroom, I entered the program figuring that the graduate degree would at least diversify my resume. I entered somewhat lukewarmly. I was dedicated to Catholic education and had no intention of leaving for the public or private sector. But, I can't say that I was committed. I was the chicken in a bacon and eggs breakfast. Involved, not committed like the pig.

Almost with the same type of clarity I had received 7 years earlier, I vividly remember sitting in Fr. Ron Nuzzi's class on the first day of the program and being simultaneously inspired and frightened. Fr. Nuzzi, a man who possesses an intimidating physical, spiritual and intellectual presence, demanded that we learn the words to ACE's mission statement. "How can you be a part of the organization, huh, and not have a clear sense of the organization's mission?" While reviewing the ACE Leadership student handbook, Fr. Nuzzi made his expectation for attendance at Mass clear, "If you're looking for where it says that you should attend Mass with the group, you won't find it in the Handbook. It doesn't need to be there, huh. It's in the Bible." Needless to say, no one missed Mass. Ever.

Figuring that the program would focus on administrative areas like finance, school law, human resources and the like, which it did, I was unprepared for what turned out to be, for me, the more impactful piece - the heavy focus on Catholicism. I found myself desiring to be more Catholic and having this desire fulfilled through the ACE Leadership Program. I learned how to locate the readings within the lectionary. I know what a Sacramentary is and can locate Mass parts within it. I can pray the divine office. I know that the podium in a church isn't called a pulpit. The terms ciborium and purificator used to be foreign to me. I read Church documents - papal encyclicals, Canon Law, the Catechism. For the first time in my life, despite 10 years of Catholic education leading up to that point, 6 of which that were within higher education, my faith was galvanized through this catechesis. I'm still working my way through the Catechist modules here in the diocese, but my time spent in the ACE Leadership Program motivated me to be more Catholic.

Already compelled to pass on the gift of faith that I had received from my parents, family, high school and college, I became convicted that God was calling me to be a Catholic school principal to ensure that students at my school would be both evangelized and catechized. Fill students with passion for the faith and give them the strength that comes from understanding the reason for their passion. Preach and teach. Create good Catholics - Catholics both on fire for and in love with Jesus.

Why Catholic education? Our world needs good Catholics; my evangelical and catechetical work within Catholic schools can help to make this happen.

Homemade by Hand

A few years ago, I stumbled upon an Irish Christian band called Rend Collective Experiment. My first experience with this Experiment was through Spirit FM, our local Catholic radio station. I liked the song and so decided to Google it. A YouTube video popped up.

They were eccentric. Upbeat. Fun. Quirky. Funny. Authentic. Just check the out the video. My favorite part was around the 1 minute mark. After hitting repeat multiple times, I went ahead and took a chance on downloading the entire album. I wasn't disappointed.

It wasn't until this past summer, though, that my passion for the band intensified and I got hooked. Again, I stumbled upon their latest album, Campfire, and was blown away by the message: break down barriers, everyone is welcome, God is with us through both trials and victories and so should our Church. Once again, their point, their lifestyle, their music all resonated with me because of their seeming authenticity.

I dug deeper into this band and found their second album named, Homemade Worship by Handmade People. Above all, I heard these words:

Some of the other messages: He gave us both a heart and a home. We can find both in Him. He is our vision, the king of our hearts. He is our best thought. He is worth the cost, whatever that cost may be. His cross changes everything. Second chances are heaven's heart. He is the reason that our hearts beat. He sets our hearts ablaze with hope. We are His Church. We need His power in us. He makes us whole. He is exactly what we need. He guides our hearts. He is our Rescuer. He is our Shining Star, guiding our hearts.

The reason for the album name: they produced all of the music themselves in their homes. Something that's homemade, according to RCE and agreed upon by me, is always better than a factory copy. Think of ourselves. God made us by hand; we are handmade. We are at home in his embrace, where we were made. We were not constructed in some factory with sterile walls and fluorescent lights, mass produced in a very impersonal way. We were crafted in His house by Him with His hands. We are homemade.

From scratch.

One of my favorite television shows is "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives". In it, the restaurants that are featured usually cook all or most of their food in house and from scratch. There is something more authentic about making something at home and by hand. Somehow food tastes better when we know all of the ingredients. Fresher truly is better. Going out to eat, if the food isn't made from scratch, is mostly enjoyable because of the service. Many of us can't prepare the meal we would select while dining out and all of us appreciate only having to eat and do nothing else.

Give me a home cooked, made by hand meal any day, though. Heck, give it to me every day and even let me prepare it. I'm a total snob when it comes to popcorn, pizza and granola. I prefer my homemade versions over any store bought, microwaved, boxed, processed, delivered versions. I like knowing what's in it and being able to pronounce any ingredient these items will contain. I like taking the time to prepare them, tweaking and perfecting my craft.

Somehow over the course of time we have become less authentic as humans. Mass production. Airbrushing. Preservatives. Hormones. Chemicals. Plastic surgery. Artificial sweeteners. Time-outs for commercial breaks. DVR. Texting. Whitening. Coloring. Lebroning.

The same God that made the universe and all of creation also made us. He fashioned us with the care of a skilled artist. Lovingly, He labored and labored over our every detail while tweaking and perfecting His craft. The Psalmist tells us that God formed our innermost beings. We were knit, by God, in our mothers' wombs (Psalm 139: 13).  There was no programming, no 3D printer, no assembly line. God made us.

We are handmade. We are homemade.

Perhaps that's why simple authenticity is so enchanting, so appealing. Pope Francis I. The joy expressed by and found in children. Sunsets. Sunrises. Playing tag. Being creative, spontaneous, unafraid. Altruism. Not only is experiencing authenticity such an anomaly but it also harkens us back to something within us that is primordial, something much deeper than even our bones. It reminds us of our Maker. Simple. Authentic. Loving. It reminds us of Home.

As Catholic educators, we could benefit from a lesson in authenticity. Instead of being consumed by Common Core, tablets, bullying, standardized testing and any other buzzword issue in education, we should focus on our Catholicity. Be unabashedly and authentically Catholic. Celebrate the Eucharist. Pray the Rosary. Adore the Blessed Sacrament. Offer frequent opportunities for Reconciliation. Catechize and evangelize.

Allow your instruction to be authentic. Make tests from scratch so that tests can be authentic representations of the progress of students. What textbook publisher knows your class or your teaching style and preferences better than you? How can a chapter test capture all that was covered in class by an authentic teacher?

Be authentic in your interactions with students and fellow teachers. Young people have an innate ability to search out, detect and name inconsistencies. Treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve as a child of God. Cherish them as we do the homemade cards and gifts given to us by students, children, relatives and friends. Respect them as we would the handiwork of a world renowned artist.

Something homemade is always better than a factory copy.

Always.  

A Few Good Humans

The Gospel stories throughout Advent speak of three main characters that help to prepare the way for Christ. Mary and Joseph, Jesus's biological and earthly parents, respectively, literally prepare for Christ's entrance into the world. John the Baptist, the other main figure over the past four weeks, prepared people for Christ's entry into public ministry. St. John the Baptist gathered believers to himself before pointing them to Jesus. All three set the stage for Christ to come into the world.

All three prepared Him room.

Let every heart follow suit.

Mary's yes and humble obedience is well discussed and documented and even debated. Her central role in bringing Christ into the world is starkly obvious. Christ came into the world as all humans do - through His mother. Beautiful and miraculous, all births take place because of the strength, love and care of women. Mary's importance is undeniable. Her special favor only surpassed in Christ Himself. Her simple "yes" has resoundingly echoed in the world ever since.

"Let it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

Mary's model of saying yes to God, preparing for His coming and nurturing that relationship has no rival. However, Joseph's and John's roles have an incredibly powerful message as well. Radically say "yes" to God. Submit to His will. Decrease so He can increase (John 3:30). Point others to Christ. Be humble and generous of spirit. Defend Him. Protect Him. Trust and accept that accepting, embracing and following Christ can bring joy greater than your heart's most burning desire.

Joy. Singing. Resounding joy! Wonders of His love!

Say yes. Let it be done to us according to His word.

The counter-cultural slant of these messages are not new to the 21st Century. Submit. Obey. Be humble. Put God first, others second and yourself last. Don't worry about ridicule or rumor. Be indifferent - not in a way that doesn't care, but in a way that doesn't care who gets credit. Society's emphasis on power, greed, fame, money, status, sex, and pride did not result at the dawn of the Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, printing press, aviation, sliced bread or even the internet. These emphases / ailments have been around for as long as humans have.

But, Jesus, in an earthly sense, hasn't. His birth was a mere 2,000 years ago, about 1% of the total time that humans have been on the planet. His birth was foretold by prophets. His coming was anticipated for centuries. Angels visited good people to tell them about the coming of the Lord. God started a relationship with Abraham and led His people according to His plan. But, even Abraham lived only about 2,000 years before Christ. Undoubtedly, there were good people prior to even God's covenant with Abraham. Undoubtedly, there were good people before the coming of Christ.

There should be even more good people after. Blessed are they who do not see and yet still believe (John 20:29). But, foolish are we who know of Christ and yet still don't believe. As I reflect on the past year, I think of all of the good people that have gone home to the Lord - my dad, my wife's grandmother, my sister's father in-law, my brother's father in-law, a colleague's father, the patriarch of a close family friend, a humanitarian from my hometown, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, and countless other good people that left this world. I think of all of the pain, hurt, violence, war, hunger, illiteracy, and abuse in our world and I think that there aren't enough good people in the world. People who hold the door. People who let you in front of them in traffic. People who give up their seats so that families can sit together on planes. People who want to give more than they want to receive, love more than they want to be loved. Good people.

And then I think of Christmas. I think of the magnitude of God taking on our earthly state. God was a good human. Mary was a good human. Joseph was a good human. John the Baptist was, too. Countless people have been good. Countless people are good. God is doing something about all of the pain, hurt and sadness. He has done something and will continue to do something. All is not lost. Hope comes into the world in the same way that every child comes into the world - by being born. Be good. Be so good that other people want to imitate your good. Be good when you don't have to be. Be good when no one is watching. Do good. Be good. For God. For others. For yourself. Be good for goodness and for Goodness's sake.

Prepare Him room. Sing. Be good.

Be triumphant!

Emmanuel! God is with us!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!