THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 4, 1995 TAG: 9511030089
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Mathews Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
But you shall love your neighbor as yourself. . . . - Leviticus 19:22
And be ye kind to one another. . . . - Ephesians 4:32
Whosoever surrenders his face to God and performs good deeds, he verily has grasped the surest handle, and unto God is the sequel of all things. - The Koran, 31:22
RELIGIOUS experiences often come in the strangest places.
Two weekends ago, I attended Kellam High School's homecoming game. I don't normally attend high school football games, but my son Luke was a homecoming court representative for his sophomore class.
When the halftime parade began, I grabbed my camera and ran to the beginning of the caravan to get a rare shot of my kid in a tuxedo. Once I got my picture prize, I stayed on the sidelines, and moments later, drank in the joy of hearing applause as Luke's name was announced.
There's almost no sweeter sound to a parent than applause for one's child.
Other names were called and other applause given. While watching the continuing procession, one particular young man - a junior class representative - caught my eye. He was handsome in an all-American kind of way, and he bore the sweetest half-smile. He also bore the physical signs of Down's Syndrome.
``Oh dear God,'' I immediately prayed, ``Please don't let this be some cruel prank. Please don't let this kid be a mark for some mean joke by some high school bullies.''
Seconds later, as the young man's car hit centerfield, the greatest round of applause heard that evening was offered up to heaven. I looked around at the young faces in the crowd. Talk about a melting pot: There were white kids, black kids, Asian kids, Filipino kids and Hispanic kids. There were punkers and preppies. There were farmboys and fashion queens.
And not a single one of them looked with bully eyes at the young man on the field.
Instead they were cheering, cheering with real, authentic joy for this special young man.
``Thank you, God!'' I said to myself, as tears filled my eyes.
The next day I mentioned my thoughts to Luke.
``Why would you think it was a joke, Mom?'' Luke asked, perplexed.
``Because I'm ashamed to admit that when I was in high school, that sort of thing happened a lot. You know, making fun of the kid who was different.''
``Different? He's not different. He's just himself. I mean he's funny and, I don't know, just kind of sweet and innocent.''
Luke also told me that the young man was a manager for the football team and a member of several clubs.
``You know, Luke,'' I said. ``I just love your generation.''
And I mean it.
Don't give me that garbage about Generation X and don't call these kids slackers. Some of the finest, most decent human beings I know are people under the age of 25.
For five years I was the youth director for two area churches and still keep in touch with many of those young people. I've also tried to leave my home open for my children's many friends. The teenagers I know are caring, sensitive, passionate, kind to the earth, tolerant of human differences and genuinely open to trying to understand the pain of others.
Among the teenagers I know, it's not cool to mock someone who is handicapped. Among the teenagers I know, it's not cool to use the ``N'' word. Among the teenagers I know, it's not cool to label something ``a girl's job.'' Among the teenagers I know, it's not cool to beat up the gay kid down the street.
Among the teenagers I know, talking about what's wrong with the world isn't enough. The teenagers I know are doing something about the bad stuff. The teenagers I know would just as soon spend a day cleaning up the Bay as they would surfing in the ocean. The teenagers I know jump at the chance to go on a mission trip or work in a soup kitchen. The teenagers I know visit the sick and care for the poor.
My own two teenagers are no exception. Luke has marched in Washington, D.C. against domestic violence and he's a member of his school ecology club. Caroline, 13, has a real heart for the elderly and, without my prompting, she used to spend afternoons visiting folks at the nursing home near our former apartment. Both my kids have done mission trips and this Christmas, instead of getting lots of unnecessary stuff, they have insisted that our family buy presents for homeless kids and work in a soup kitchen.
With all the heavy duty stuff that today's teenagers have going against them - drugs, AIDS, violence and more - I believe the majority of them are good kids.
Correction: They are great human beings.
So what was my religious experience at Kellam's homecoming game?
When those kids applauded that special young man, my soul rejoiced. On that football field, I felt God's presence and knew truly what is the core of the world's three great faiths.
It is authentic love for a fellow human being, displayed in simple acts of kindness. MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her
opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,
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(804) 436-2798; or send e-mail to bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline is Tuesday
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