It's the way it is!

Davidstar 2011 - Merry Christmas!

It is no use saying that we are born two thousand years too late to give room to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too late. Christ is always with us, always asking for room in our hearts.

But now it is with the voice of our contemporaries that He speaks, with the eyes of store clerks, factory workers, and children that He gazes; with the hands of office workers, slum dwellers, and suburban housewives that He gives. It is with the feet of soldiers and tramps that He walks, and with the heart of anyone in need that He longs for shelter. And giving shelter or food to anyone who asks for it, or needs it, is giving to Christ.

If we hadn’t got Christ’s own words for it, it would seem raving lunacy to believe that if I offer a bed and food and hospitality to some man or woman or child, I am replaying the part of Lazarus or Martha or Mary, and that my guest is Christ.

…He said that a glass of water given to a beggar was given to Him. He made heaven hinge on the way we act toward Him in His disguise of commonplace, frail, ordinary humanity…

And to those who say … that they never had a chance to do such a thing, that they lived two thousand years too late, He will say again what they had a chance of knowing all their lives, that if these things were done for the very least of His brethren they were done to Him.

— Dorothy Day, ‘A Room for Christ,” The Catholic Worker,  December 1945

During the Great Depression, Dorothy Day founded the Catholic Worker Movement to serve the homeless and the hungry.  Literally hundreds of thousands depended upon this network of Houses of Hospitality that spanned this entire nation.  Today, more than 160 still live on as testimony to Dorothy and those who shared their lives with the poor who walk among us.  Today, many still strive to live the Gospel ideal of bringing Christ to birth on a daily basis.

Cameron Davies founded Boardwalk on Broadway, a park for food trucks, here in San Antonio.  He outfits the trucks and many find a home within the park.  But Cameron and the truck owners do more than the visible.  Many of them help in a variety of ways to serve the homeless population in San Antonio.  When the tornado struck Joplin, Missouri earlier this year, a truck sped north to help in any way possible.  As I write this, they are sponsoring a drive for Toys for Tots… 

Eddie Canales literally gave up his job to become a fulltime caregiver to his son Chris, when Chris was paralyzed after suffering a spinal cord injury during the last football game of his senior year in high school.  A year later, when witnessing the same accident befall another high school player, Gridiron Heroes was born.  Chris and his father log thousands of miles in their van visiting with those who have suffered spinal cord injuries as well as coaches, boosters and football teams around the country.  This year, CNN honored Eddie as one of the Top Ten Heroes in the US…

This year, we have been reminded of the “bad” that celebrity can enable:  Charlie Sheen, Kardashian, Lindsey Lohan…  and the list goes on…  but there are some who strive to make a difference in the lives of people by using their celebrity status in a positive manner.  For example, Sandra Bullock donated $1M to Japan after the Tsunami hit.

Friday Night Lights was an extremely powerful TV show for the past 5 seasons.  But for me, what made it so powerful wasn’t just the acting or the plot or the drama, it was actually being able to meet the cast and crew and understand that what went on the screen was in a very real way, what was in their hearts. Kyle Chandler and Brad Leland annually host Beyond the Lights – a Golf & Frisbee Golf Tournament that raises funds for Gridiron Heroes and the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis.  This is overseen and supported by members of the cast and crew, and has drawn celebrity participation from all quarters.  Scott Porter donated his winnings from a basketball game to Gridiron Heroes.  Taylor Kitsch and Connie Britton support the ongoing work of the African Children’s Choir which is actually more of a network of education for orphans and poverty stricken children in Africa.  Again, they are supported by members of the crew and cast.  And because they have stepped forward, many have come to know about these organizations and the good that they do day by day by day…   Kyle was named Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys and Jason Katins took the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.  Time Magazine just this week named the final episode the #1 TV episode of 2011.  Who  says nice guys can’t finish first?  We need more examples like this…

Each and every day, you bring the Gift that is Christmas alive when you take time outside of yourself and live for someone else.  I see it, and I am overwhelmed by the good that occurs.  There are those who prepare and deliver meals through Meals on Wheels or Mobile Loaves & Fishes, those who serve at Catholic Worker House or the SAMM shelter or Haven for Hope, those who visit the sick and dying and homebound.  Many help the orphaned, the abandoned, the imprisoned, the widowed.  When you take the time within your family, your neighborhood or community, you are sharing the Christmas Spirit with the rest of the world.

Thank you for your example, your friendship, and your love this past year.  Thank you for sharing your gifts of time and talent with so many.  Your smiles and your hugs have meant a lot – not only to others but to me personally.

I don’t understand everything that happens.  But I do believe that there is a Plan.  We might not understand that Plan, but one day, we will be given the opportunity to look back on our lives and see what it all meant.  And in the meantime, we have to use each meeting, each situation and event, as an opportunity to share that Love and those gifts which we have been given.

There is a prayer with which I have been blessed, that I share at this time of the year:

Lord,

let me see you in everyone I meet.

Let me be you for everyone I see.

Let me find you in every encounter.

Let me place you in every situation.

This Christmas Morning 2011, I’ll be celebrating Mass at the San Antonio Catholic Worker House and I’ll be remembering each of you during that day.  May God bring to birth the Love of the Season for you, your friends and family!

Merry Christmas!

John

Our messed up America…

I have such serious doubts about our political system.  Yep, the USA – THE Democracy on the face of the earth; 200+ years of this Constitution and going strong… and yet…

There is a very real art to politics.  I have been blessed in my lifetime to hear from Barbara Jordan, that AWESOME Black Democratic Congresswoman from Texas – and great Kay Bailey Hutchinson, the State’s incredible Republican Senator.  Both women had this State – and this country – at heart.  They may disagree politically, but they know that the art of politics is in listening and in compromise.

Apparently, many from the Tea Party have a lot to learn.  But then again, so do the Democrats.  No one is listening to anyone anymore. 

It’s not just about money.  It can’t be just about money.  It’s about greed, pretty basically… on all sides.  It’s about power, and control.  And yet, many times, when we give something up, we receive much more abundantly.

Matthew 25, that great book of the Bible, challenges us on so many levels:

 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations^* will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’  

Then the righteous^* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

This Gospel should be our Constitution as Americans.  Regardless of faith, regardless of economic status…  we need to be there for one another – especially in this time of growing unease. 

And the Republicans and the Democrats just don’t get it… 

The Republicans, and we are told that many Evangelical Christians are members of this party, say: “Don’t spend the money; they have to do it alone; pick themselves up; that’s the American Dream….”

On the other hand, the Democrats continue to throw money and more money at people that they want to pretty much ignore…  but they can have the satisfaction of saying “we gave them something…”

What neither will address is the fact that we are a government of, by and for the people.  A government of the people should be served by those who set examples for us.  Don’t add any more money to the deficit.  But make sure that the money that is available is used properly.  More importantly, get down in the trenches and visit the sick, the poor, the homeless, the orphaned and the widowed.

Members of both parties…  I haven’t really seen that or heard that at all…  Instead, it’s “I made my bucks, I don’t want the government to get any more of it back…” but that maligned thinking forgets that the person who made that money did so on the back of an American infrastructure that includes education, regulations, roads, government oversight… so many different areas that were not given for free, but left for us by our forefathers… and we must do the same for those who surround us now, as well as for the next generation.  Do you really need that $5M home, or the 5^th car? 

On the other hand, it’s a lot of people who want to tax to resolve our debt crisis, but don’t want to do the hard work that would really resolve the problem of the deficit… Rolling up your sleeves and working with the poor, the homeless… the Demos are big on talk… let’s see them walk the walk…

If every American gave one hour a week to helping those in the communities that surround them, we would have a changed society.  One filled with hope… one where people know that their fellow Americans are there for them.  Not just in times of crisis, but at all times.

I don’t know the answers… what I do know is that I don’t see any example coming from anyone currently in office.  All I hear is hot air…  empty promises, voided campaign promises.  Sound-bytes for a generation of people tired of the political rhetoric…  All I see are fancy cars, suits, and well groomed men and women who march in lockstep to the beat of their political party… the people be damned…

I know that I can – I must – do more.  I know that I can – I must – challenge all who are Americans to do the same…  I just wish I could get Congress – and the President – to listen…

9-11 Mandate

Dear friends,

Ten years ago, we faced a horrible nightmare. The happenings of September 11, 2001 (9-11) will be forever etched into our memories.   Poems, prayers, art, emails, letters, TV shows, newscasts, radio broadcasts have all been instrumental in both defining the moment and reminding us of the carnage.  “Wear Red, White and Blue” or “Turn Your Car Lights On” serve to remind us of the nature of the day, and the feelings that we share for this land in which we have been privileged to live.  I was thinking what can we do on that day to make it a true memorial to those who died and who served on that day and in the months that followed.  I came up with the following… maybe if we all took a moment on 9-11, we could show the world the true spirit of America…  The best to honor all of those who died, is to live:

• Tell your child, your parent, your spouse, your friend that you love him or her
• Thank a person connected with your personal protection: a member of the fire or police department, an emergency medical technician, a doctor, a nurse, a security guard
• Take a moment to pray for all involved in our Armed Forces, and make an effort to connect with those who have returned to us marked in some way from the battle
• Turn off the computer, TV, Video Game, radio, stereo – and listen to whoever comes to ask for your time
• Don’t spread gossip; and stop others from spreading it
• Clean the closet and pantry; make a donation to Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Worker House, a shelter
• Donate Blood
• Volunteer your time and services for a Habitat for Humanity project, at a nursing home or hospital or jail or any number of Social Services
• Read a story to or play a game with your child
• Check into the Peace Corps or Ameri-corps; offer your time, services and/or money
• Check out the many charities that are in need and help one
• Pay a compliment to someone
• Clean your room, take out the garbage or wash the dishes without being told
• Pay tribute to our servicemen and women, active, reserve, and retired.  They have and continue to put their lives on the line to maintain the ideals we hold.
• Smile!
• Take a co-worker or old friend to lunch
• Admit your faults humbly, but remember that we are co-creators, so use your gifts, talents and blessings to lift someone up or create something positive
• Just visit a nursing home, prison, orphanage, homeless shelter or hospital
• Take your family and friends to church
• Sing the National Anthem – this is OUR song, not the song of a soloist or a group
• Meet your neighbor!  Learn and share about one another’s family’s and cultures
• Forgive someone who you perceived (rightly or wrongly) as harming you
• Reconcile with someone who you know has something against you (rightly or wrongly).
• Call an elderly relative and let them know that you are thinking of them
• Remind yourself and your friends and family that this was not an act of God. Rather, it was an act of men who chose to bring harm to many.
• Pray for those who have persecuted us.

And at the end of the day, when the shadows deepen and darkness settles in:

• Light a candle – put it in your front window
  • In honor of those who perished in the planes
  • In honor of those who perished or were injured attempting to rescue and help others
  • For their families
  • For the hungry, the illiterate
  • For the suffering in every country, especially countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq
  • For the families of those who lost loved ones in Afghanistan
  • For our government and our military

• Light a candle, and show the world that 9-11 was but a moment of darkness, and we have been given the Light that will conquer the darkness, and with the blessing of God we will shine brightly once again!

A perspective on life…

Life has many twists and turns.  Somehow, in the midst of struggle, pain, suffering, we find an inner strength or quality which allows us to grow and become the person that we were meant to be…  at least, for many of us…

At the same time, there are moments when Love is present in ways that can’t really be described.  A wedding, a talk on a balcony, dodging a spit brigade, sharing a drink, a smile, a hug, a word of hope – all can be and have been – moments that reflect the love shared between friends and family. 

These moments can affect us, change us, just as much as adversity.  And Love can, in so many ways, make the change permanent.

In the past few days, I have been blest to spend time with people who have offered me those rare moments on occasion during my life.  I have entered into memories that touch and remind me how life has been good, and how I have been blest. 

Vacations are times of maddening rushes to many of us.  We have to go here, see this, experience that.  But there are times when vacations need to be reminders of that which makes us whole and which makes love possible in our lives.

Tonight, a TV show will say farewell…  Friday Night Lights has been a critically acclaimed show that lives up to that week in and week out.  But those who are among the cast, and those of us who have been touched by them, realize the family that continues even after the show completes its final season.  Each episode was a moment of grace, and a reflection of the love in their individual lives as well as the love present in the interaction between the members of the cast.  And it translated to the screen in ways that many shows cannot or will never experience.

“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” has become a theme of sorts for the show.  But metaphorically, it can be a theme for all of us as we walk this incredible journey of life.

To all who had any part in creating this masterpiece:  crew or cast, thanks for the show.  Texas Forever!

Clear eyes…

Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose… 

so I sit on the sidelines watching the game - in this case, Friday Night Lights… and I wonder - as do so many others whom I know - just how a show like this can

1.        bring together a cast who become family to one another, both on screen and off and

2.       can be dismissed easily from the TV screen?

I find it so very interesting that the NY Times and NPR, among many, continue to speak about each episode, as well as the series, declaring it to be among the best written ever in the history of television…

If that sounds strong, it is…  and it is meant to be…

I spent a couple of days 2 weekends ago with friends of mine who were a part of the culture of my high school – Winston Churchill – here in San Antonio.  A few who were there were a part of the 1976 team that captured the State title undefeated.  3 of the playoff games were shutouts…  2 of the playoff games were against teams that they played in pre-season…  and the 2^nd time around wasn’t pretty for those teams…

At that time, WC was the “country school” in SA.  It was the furthest out; often, we who arrived early, got to help move the cattle back into the neighboring field so that the team could work out and the band could rehearse…  McDonald’s and Pizza Hut made an appearance in 1974 and it was as big a moment as the first step on the moon…

Last year, David Darr, all-State Safety from that team, and the uncle of Coy Aune, gifted 4 coaches with a Foursome at Beyond the Lights…  3 of those were members of that State Team, including the head coach, Jerry Comalander, who is now the Athletic Director for North East Independent School District.  Frank Arnold, who was the fourth member of the group, and a good friend of theirs, coached Judson to their 1^st State Championship and a dynasty began.

When Coach Taylor talks about the community and the students speak to what he has meant to them, I can confirm that these coaches are more than simple coaches.  My brother, who played for WC along with Cody Carlson (later to be QB for the Houston Oilers) was dealt a blow when told that his 1½ year old son had leukemia.  My nephew, David, is now 24 years old, a survivor.  But when I was privileged to be Jerry Comalander’s VIP host when he was named to the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame, he looked at me and the first words out of his mouth were, how is your brother, and how is that son of his?   That was 25 years after my brother had left the school.   And I know many from the Churchill and Judson communities – as well as others – who have had the same experience with their head coaches.

Friday Night Lights captured (captures) the spirit that is found not only in the school, but in the communities here in Texas that surrounds those sports programs.  We have something special in this State.  For all of our problems, community shines brightly.

There are only a very few short weeks left for the show on NBC.  But that spirit will live on.  And the family that shaped it – both on the screen and off – will continue.

A Month of Sundays…

I have been blessed… seriously, in a number of ways…  I have a tremendous support group, and a great, incredible, loving group of friends… I have met some of the most incredible people in the world, and privileged to add them to the menagerie with which God has blessed me…

All have served to make me who I am… all have challenged me, my ways of thinking, my “I have to be right” attitude…  all have served a purpose in shaping my life. 

Everyone needs a vacation, and for whatever reason, towards the end of a long school year, I opted to begin one.  Not travelling (although that will happen later this summer), but simply taking time off of the “important” things in my life…  I have spent weekends with friends and charities, at the movies and at the Mall, walking in the park, kicking back, reading… 

And in all of that good, there is so much more to be had.  During this time, I have relished in those blessings, those connections, those opportunities to expand and grow and discover just who I am and who I can still become.  I’ve realized that it’s not so much a matter of age, but it’s a matter of the heart – and the will…

I have, on one wall, cassette tapes and Videos of a bygone era.  I don’t listen anymore, nor do I watch those movies.  So I look at that wall and wonder if I should remove the shelving and donate those tapes and videos to a garage sale…  If my car had both a cassette deck as well as a CD player, I might keep the Eddie Rabbit, Doobie Brothers, and Dan Fogelberg cassettes…  and I’ll definitely keep the classic videos…

But it’s about a part of me that would be gone.  Technology has changed… and so must I.  Clearing the junk is good… but there are times when looking at that junk brings memories of times filled with happiness and love.

It’s when the stuff becomes clutter that marks the day necessary to take stock, explore and toss…  Fresh start – that’s what Spring represents….

I am a coupon hound.  I cut them from the paper, and try to use them as much as possible at the grocery store.  I also sign up for email groups from every restaurant that I’d love to eat at…  and I try to take advantage of their specials whenever possible.  The Sunday paper is filled with coupons; and I use my time when washing clothes to cut and sort…

I am getting ready to do my laundry, to breathe some new life into those fabrics, to clean the junk and begin anew…  I have 4 weeks of Sunday newspapers to go through…  a month of Sundays…

Beyond thanks…

Saturday afternoon, I lingered…  I didn’t want to leave.  I had been immersed in a world that brought life to dreams and hope to many.  In a very real way, I was also invited into a family reunion.  And then the words directed to me:  “I’ll see you next year…” 

How do we define God?

We struggle as a society to put a finger on the face of God.  Words cannot come close.  There are many who believe conflicting realities and those who don’t believe at all…

How do we define Love?

Again, we struggle.  We can’t put the proper words to the concept.  Is it emotion?  Is it instinct?  Is it action?  Is it a combination of these and more?

This past weekend, the 2011 edition of the Beyond the Lights Golf Tournament was held at the Hyatt Lost Pines near Bastrop, TX.  The brainchild of Kyle Chandler and Brad Leland (Friday Night Lights), the tournament has grown in stature and importance.  Disc golf has been added, new sponsors have come on board.  The tournament benefits both Gridiron Heroes and The Buoniconti Fund (The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis)…

There is the love shared between Eddie and Chris Canales.  Chris suffered a spinal cord injury during a football game 9 years ago.  His father gave up his job to care for Chris.  But Chris, who is technically a quadriplegic, never seems to stop.  Together with his father, he visits others who have been injured, and works to ensure that their needs are met.  They travel around the country explaining what has happened and what can be done to ensure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else. 

There is the love shared between members of the cast of Friday Night Lights.  While the show is in its 5^th and final season, the cast members are a family – and the love shared between them continues to grow in many ways. 

There is the love of the community that gathers for the event, those who are willing to donate their time and/or money to ensure a successful outcome. 

A good friend of mine once told me that there are 3 ways to change people:  fear, punishment and love.  And that only love will change someone for the long term.

I know that I have been changed.  I know that those who attend on a regular basis are touched and changed by the love that is shared. 

To Chris and Eddie and the entire Canales family and members of the Gridiron Heroes board… thank you…

To those involved with the Buoniconti Fund… thank you…

To Kyle and Brad, who had the idea and who give of their time and energy to host and ensure a successful event… thank you…

To Heather, Angie, Gail, Shelly, Payal, and all who worked and gave of their lives these past months…  and to all the other volunteers who took time out of their schedules to be present… thank you…

To cast members of quite arguably one of the best TV shows of all time, “Friday Night Lights”…  thank you…

Saturday morning, I wiped my eyes as I saw, for the 3^rd time in month, the story of Chris and the founding of Gridiron Heroes.  I looked up to see many doing the same.  And Kyle mentioned that he has the same reaction each time he sees it…

There is so much to say, so many thoughts to write.  But words struggle to find meaning in a weekend filled with hope and love - A weekend where dreams are made possible through generous hearts and willing spirits.

So Saturday afternoon, I lingered…  I didn’t want to leave.  I had been immersed in a world that brought life to dreams and hope to many.  In a very real way, I was also invited into a family reunion.  And then the words directed to me:  “I’ll see you next year…”  Sure Kyle… I’ll see you next year…  And may the God Who is Love be with all of us until then…

“Lord, I am not worthy,…”

“Lord, I am not worthy…” 

The Gospel of Luke tells the story of a Roman centurion who comes to Jesus to ask that his servant be healed.  Only he tells Jesus that he is a commander of both servants and armies and he knows how to command – that when he declares that something is to be done, the order is carried out.  And he tells Jesus that he is not worthy to have him come under his roof, but only say the word (only give the command) and the servant would be healed.  Not only was Jesus surprised by the man’s faith, he granted the request.

This past weekend, we celebrated Triduum: the 3 High Holy Days of the Church year.  They recall the days when Jesus held his last meal with his apostles, his subsequent arrest, trial and execution and his Resurrection from the Dead.  If the latter hadn’t happened, we would not have these days to commemorate.  We wouldn’t have Christmas either.  Many were put to death by crucifixion by the Romans; only one rose from the dead!

But this year was different for me in many respects.  Because I not only didn’t celebrate the three days in the ways in which I was accustomed, but I was immersed into the complete act of love that the Triduum represents, alive in the world today.

First, my three days were spent at Padua Place, leading the sung prayer for the community that resides there and friends and family.  Padua Place is a home for primarily retired priests and religious who require medical assistance.  A “typical” Mass is anything but…  the times when services might normally be held are usually changed to reflect their schedules of medicine and sleep.  And as many as possible participate in the liturgy, through their proclamation of the Scriptures, prayers and Psalm verses.  It is truly amazing and beautiful how the liturgy – the “work of the people” takes shape in that small chapel.  It is an extremely humbling experience.

“Lord, I am not worthy…”

Secondly, Friday night, “Good Friday,” the day we commemorate the Death of Jesus on the Cross, was not spent in a Church.  I celebrated the Liturgy of that day with those of Padua Place at 3 p.m.  Friday night I was at a benefit for Gridiron Heroes.  Gridiron Heroes was founded to care for those with spinal cord injuries suffered as a result of high school sports, primarily football.  Chris Canales suffered his injury in November 2001.  A year later, at Chris’s first game since his accident, he and his father witnessed another boy suffer the same fate.  Gridiron Heroes, a nonprofit that exists to aid those who have suffered in the same way, was born.

Peter Berg, the producer of the TV show Friday Night Lights was at the Austin Westlake-San Antonio Madison state quarterfinal game when Madison’s David Edwards suffered his accident.  He sponsored a concert in Austin that raised funds for both the David Edwards Trust and Gridirion Heroes.  And the Friday Night Lights character, Jason Street, was born, a character reflecting the same situation. 

Friday Night Light actors Kyle Chandler and Brad Leland came up with the idea to host a charity golf tournament:  Beyond the Lights.  This tournament would raise funds for Gridiron Heroes and The Buoniconti Fund-the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.  This annual event has raised thousands of dollars and is considered one of the premier charity golf tournaments in the United States. 

Over the past years, Friday Night Lights has held its annual season premier in San Antonio.  Cast members and crew have attended the premier which donates the event and ticket monies to Gridiron Heroes.  This past Friday, this “Good Friday,” the premier for the 5^th and final season of the show was held at the JW Marriott.

“Lord, I am not worthy…”

To attend an event such as this, mingle with actors, watch a couple of TV shows would be considered scandalous by some.  After all, it was Good Friday, a solemn day of remembrance of the Death of the One we Christians believe to be the Savior of the World.  But to be with this group of people, and on this particular night, was, in a very real way, a modern application of the Love of the Triduum lived in the world today.

The event was hosted by Red McCombs, who has done much with his money and his position to bring attention to the needs of these young people.  We were reminded, not only in deed, but also in word, that we were in the midst of Holy Week, and that the events that led to the creation of Gridiron Heroes were “God-moments” – a conspiracy of events that cannot be explained naturally. 

We were gifted with not only the presence of a great majority of the cast members from the past 5 seasons, including Kyle, Brad, and Scott Porter, who portrayed Jason Street, but also with the presence of many philanthropically minded people from various places around the State of Texas. 

“Lord, I am not worthy…”

A young man, one of the Gridiron Heroes from within the State of Texas, rode a bus to attend the event with his mother.  Imagine, a young mother, alone, who has to get her paraplegic son in and out of a car daily, taking him out of his chair, putting him in his seat, later taking him out of the car and back into the chair….  Imagine these two having to ride a bus into San Antonio…

During the night, these two were gifted with a wheelchair accessible van.  Something which some would think insurance would cover, but does not. 

“Lord, I am not worthy…”

Yes, we watched two episodes of the show.  And I was graced to be able to spend time with many of the cast members with whom I have been blessed to meet over these past few years.  If you have ever watched Friday Night Lights, you know that it is not a show about football; rather, it’s a show about the lives of those who live in a world that revolves around football.  And it is a show that speaks openly and honestly about a great gift:  Love.  Not like in most TV shows, but love that transpires our everyday existence, a love that is characterized by action and the need to use our gifts and talents to provide for those who are less fortunate.

I can assure you that this is a cast of people who believe that, who live that, who treasure that reality.  We don’t have a lot of these shows on TV, and this year, we will lose one of the best. 

But those actors who make up the cast go on.  And in their personal lives, they are doing what they can to make a difference.  Beyond the Lights will go on.  Many, many people will be helped.  Those who were a part of this show will carry the love that they shared with them and it will motivate them in a positive way throughout their careers and indeed, their very lives.

Eddie and Chris Canales will continue to do what they can to relieve the suffering of those who are injured, and provide as much assistance as possible.   Eddie was named the first “CNN Hero” for giving up his life, so that Chris and so many others can have a better life.

So how can we help? Maybe you don’t play golf but the Beyond the Lights Golf Tournament includes a day of disc golf, a dinner, and both a silent and live auction.  Attend an event and/or donate to the auction.  More info can be found at www.beyondthelights.org.

And check out www.gridironheroes.org for many ways that you can help with gifts of your time and treasure to directly affect the lives of those who have suffered in this manner.  You can adopt a boy, for example, and share with a monthly gift.  Maybe you have access to materials that are desperately needed: wheelchairs, beds, wheelchair accessible vans, etc.  No gift is too great nor too small. 

And finally: prayer.  As Jesus prayed in the garden, let us pray, each in our own way.  And may God who hears all prayers, help direct our hearts to building a Kingdom of Love today in all that we do.

“Lord, I am not worthy…”

I have no idea why I know the people that I do or why I have been granted the privilege of being surrounded by such gifted and generous people.  And I don’t just mean those of whom I have written, but those who read this as well.

I believe that there is a “Plan” and that we are participants and co-creators of that Plan.  And I believe that the day will come when I will be able to look back and see and understand just what my role was in that Plan.   But in the meantime, I have to share the gifts and talents and Love with which I have been blessed to all with whom I come in contact.  I have to be there for the hungry, the homeless, the orphaned and the widowed, the imprisoned and the sick. 

 I have indeed been blessed to be surrounded by men and women of Love who challenge me to live that daily.  When we do this, we bring the Love shared by Jesus so many years ago into the world today – a world in desperate need of that Love!

Thanks for reading this.  Thanks for being there for me throughout these years.  May this Holy Season of Passover and Eastertime be filled with Grace and Blessing!

John
- Friendships are measured not by length but by depth…

The Actors of Life…

Michael J. Fox walked out from the chute…  As he walked out of the shadows, all he said was “Hi.  I’m Mike.”  And the thousands in Olympic Stadium in Vancouver, Canada went nuts.

Those of us who are old enough, can remember the show “Family Ties” that propelled him to stardom.  Many of us also know him from “Spin City.”  And there are those great movies from “Teen Wolf” to “Back to the Future” and the subsequent sequels.

But the world has grown to know Mike, as the guy with Parkinson’s disease.  He has done much to turn his personal tragedy into a source of hope for millions.

George Clooney became known through a TV show called “The Facts of Life.”  He went on to be a doctor on the popular show ER.  And his movie career has included “Good Night and Good Luck” as well as the movies “Oceans Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen.”

But he is known for his work in Africa, most especially bringing our attention to Darfur.  And last year, he hosted a telethon to raise funds and awareness for Haiti after the devastating earthquake that destroyed so much of the infrastructure.

Sandra Bullock is known for a slate of movies.  And she just donated $1 Million to Japan to help with relief efforts there…

Kyle Chandler has starred in a multitude of shows, from “Homefront” and “Morning Edition” to “North and South” and the highly acclaimed “Friday Night Lights.”  On that show, he was joined by an outstanding cast that included Taylor Kitsch, Connie Britton, and Brad Leland.

But Kyle is also known for his giving heart.  Together with Brad Leland, he has sponsored the annual “Beyond the Lights” Golf Tournament raising money and awareness for those afflicted with spinal cord injuries. 

Taylor and Connie have also worked with “Music for Life” and its work with the African Children’s Choir.  These children have lost a parent through war, famine or AIDS.  “Music for Life” has helped over 52,000 youth and ensured that 1,000 have earned a degree.

I have been privileged to help with the Golf Tournament and was present to hear the African Children’s Choir. 

Through the past few weeks, we have heard and seen the story of Charlie Sheen.  At the same time, there are other stories of others, for example, Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton.  We have also heard of those who performed for Khadafy, and receiving millions in the process.

We know those stories, and for whatever reason, they seem to captivate many.  While we are at war with Libya, while the people of New Zealand, Haiti and Japan suffer with their earthquakes and other issues, somehow over one million managed to connect with Charlie Sheen via Twitter. 

I don’t know.  For me, personally, I’d rather have the example of those I noted above.  I don’t want to declare anyone a saint, but at the same time, there are people out there who use their position and their success to help others and be a force for change and for good. 

And I’d much rather support the products – those TV shows and movies – of those who have positive values and live in a way that offers hope, that offers a positive ideal for change.

It’s definitely something to think about.  Who do you support? And why?  Who displays the values that you’d like your children to emulate?  How can we support that effort?