Spare the Rod and Spoil The Child?

I've been amazed recently on the number of children doing things previously only a select few adults would attempt. We've had a 13 year old child climb Mt Everest and a whole slew of under 17 year olds attempt to sail solo around the world. Some made it and some, like the 16 yr old young lady of a couple of weeks ago, did not. I've been wondering what this trend says about our culture of parenting. My initial reaction was, "Who the heck would let their 16 year old kid (son or daughter) go sailing alone around the world with pirates, storms, and other disasters waiting on them?" Those parents have more money than brains. What parent would let their 13 yr old climb Mt Everest when there are (literally) hundreds of bodies littering the slopes from previous attempts? Children do not have the ability to comprehend the risks involved in these endeavors. It's up the parents to be parents.

I don't mind allowing kids to attempt big things. I encourage my sons to try new things all the time. The problem, however, is we're raising a generation of children who don't know how to cope with failure and disappointment. Every child gets a trophy now in youth sports leagues. Teachers are no longer allowed to discipline. Parents tell their children "You can be anything you want when you grow up if you just try hard enough." Baloney. No you can't. With parents treating their children as if sunshine pours from every orifice we're teaching the kids to be egocentric, believing that they are entitled to success. The kids that attempted the outrageous stunts were encouraged to do so by their parents. I don't blame the kids. Teenagers believe they are immortal. Nothing bad can happen to them. They have no concept of risk. And that's developmentally correct (mostly) for them. But now the parents are encouraging that to an unhealthy extreme. The truth is, not every child can grow up to be an NFL star or a doctor or pilot or a millionaire. Not every kid has the natural athletic ability or brains or parents with enough money to do many things. And that's okay. We need to encourage kids to be who they are, not what their parents want them to be. I try to watch what my sons are interested in and nurture that. I'm a sports nut so would I love for one or both of my boys to grow up to play big time college or pro sports? Sure! But it's not my life. God creates every child unique and we need to nurture the way He has gifted each child rather than telling them they can be anything they want. We're over-nurturing children into being spoiled and immature, even into their adult years.

Case in point, last night the new Twilight movie "Eclipse" was released. Yes, I've read the books because I try to keep up with cultural phenomenon whether I like it or not. What I discovered in the pages of these books is the endless ramblings of a immature, moody, emotionally co-dependent, and mostly unlikable, teenage girl (Bella) who seems to think her life is worthless unless some "glittering vampire" (Really? Is Stephanie Myer 8?) or werewolf with perfect hair and abs is coming to her rescue. I noticed on Facebook this morning many ladies posting how "awesome" the movie was. For some of these I know them and, however disgusting I find the Twilight "saga", it's just a guilty escape for them and they don't take it seriously. That's okay. Kind of like "wrestling" (WWF style) for a lot of guys. But the books really are a reflection of our current "me" culture. And this ego-centrism is being nurtured in our children causing a growing number of "Bellas" in real life.

When I baptize a child in the United Methodist Church the entire congregation takes a vow to raise a child in God's ways. While "spare the rod, spoil the child" is not in the Bible as so many believe (it comes from a 1664 poem by Samuel Butler), there are many verses that speak of the importance of leading our children on right paths and giving them proper discipline (e.g. Proverbs 13:24). I don't mean beating our kids and I don't subscribe to the "children are better seen than heard" camp. I don't think we should force our kids to sit quietly and never make a peep while they are at church (though I don't think they should just run wild, either). However, I do think the Church needs to teach our children what being a Christian really means. Jesus never said "you can be anything you want." He (and Paul and others) taught that we can do whatever God empowers us to do. That's a whole different focus. Then we're focusing on God's mission and not our wants. Also, nowhere in the Bible can you find anything about ego-centrism being okay (the songs I want, the worship style I want, the time I want, etc). We're taught to sacrifice self for others. I don't see this being taught to children because, honestly, I don't see it modeled often enough by the parents.

Children need to dream. They need to be kids. I'm not saying turn them into mini-adults. But they also need to be taught that the world does not revolve around them and that life is about serving others, not themselves. Come to think of it, we need to teach some adults that lesson, too. The earlier we teach these lessons the more likely these kids will be to grow up mature and healthy in every area of their lives. In doing this we'll be going against the current grain of culture, which means it won't be popular, but, then again, Jesus never called us to do anything "popular."

Does Soccer Matter?

The USA will never "get" soccer. It will never be, in the USA, more than a sport played by kids and those few who grow up in "soccer communities." Oh, sure, many bandwagon fans will jump on board over the next month as the World Cup gets underway. People who have no clue what the English Premiere League, or even MLS, is will watch and cheer on the United States club. Most of those "fans" won't be able to name a single player on the team pre-World Cup. Once the USA is eliminated (more than likely quarterfinals IF they're lucky enough to get out of the group stage) most of those same "fans" will go back to not giving a rip about soccer for another 4 years outside of driving their kids to games at the YMCA.

I hate that soccer holds such a lowly status in our country. I genuinely love and appreciate the game. As a hockey player and fanatic I do get irritated at the soft, wussy little soccer players taking dives and flopping around on the ground like a fish out of water if someone breathes in their general direction, but overall I enjoy the game.

Why won't the sport take off in the USA? Football (as it's known everywhere else) is the single most popular sport in all the world yet it's a fringe sport in our country and always will be. Why? The answer is the soccer culture in this country. We're soccer snobs. In general, two groups of people play soccer in the USA: children and upper middle/upper class white kids. The really top tier soccer players in the USA, for the most part, come from wealthier than average families and are groomed as soccer players from day 1. Kind of like gymnasts and figure skaters. They attend camps and developmental programs almost from the start. Your lower class kids usually can't afford that kind of thing so they quickly lose interest in soccer. A country's sports passions are built on the playgrounds and streets. When was the last time you saw a spontaneous playground soccer game break out? Unless a lot of Latino kids are involved my answer would be "never." It's basketball and American football that are played in the neighborhoods and streets, especially in the inner cities and so soccer becomes a niche sport.

Football, however, is totally the opposite around the world. The reason it is so insanely popular is much of the rest of the world is not rich. Even if you're "poor" in America you're well off compared to (literally) 90% of the rest of the world. Kids in other countries can't afford the equipment necessary for so many other sports. What do you need to play football (soccer)? Let's see...a ball and...well, that's about it. You need something that can be kicked and will roll decently well. You don't need certain clothing or equipment or rims of a certain height. If you have a ball and a somewhat flat patch of ground you've got a game. In many villages around the world there might be only 1 ball for the entire village, but at least they have a ball. And so the kids grow up playing "the beautiful game."

Some of it, especially in Europe, is cultural. Kids are raised on soccer like our kids in the USA are raised on American football and so they develop the passion of their parents. But for much of the world the passion for soccer stems from an economic reason. They have no other options. So they've learned to love a game that is incredibly simple and maddeningly complex at the same time.

I'm excited about this World Cup because I enjoy cheering on our national team and watching the best players in the world participate in something that is the truest world championship of any sport (how can we call NHL, NBA, MLB or NFL teams "world" champions when they only play teams from the USA and Canada?). But I'm also excited because of what it represents. To Africa, soccer is a diversion from the incredible poverty, constant wars, and rampant diseases such as malaria and AIDS. It's a chance for that continent to show that it has more to offer the world than the negative things it's known for. It's a chance for South Africa to show the progress its made over the last few years and maybe help break free of its image as a racist, hate-filled place (an image I wish Alabama could shed as well).

Starting June 11 I'm definitely cheering for the Yanks (as is the American team is known), but I'm also excited to watch an event that brings people of so many cultures and economic statuses together. Hopefully some little kid watching in a forgotten village or slum somewhere around the world will hear about the heroes of their country and dream that one day that can be them too. Too many places around the world are dreamless. Kids have no hope of a better life, but for many soccer provides that escape and gives kids a chance to dream. Game on!

Welcome!

I have decided, after a bit of a hiatus, to re-enter the world of blogging. This is mostly due to the fact that, with my first book was recently published, I was told that authors need a blog. So, I caved to the pressure and decided to start up again.

So, who am I? I'm a 36 yr old United Methodist pastor serving a 182 year old growing, vibrant congregation in Millbrook, Alabama (just north of Montgomery). I have a great wife and 2 sons who keep me pretty active.

This blog will serve as a way of sending my thoughts to my congregation, but also sharing thoughts on how the church and Christianity interacts with the world with the rest of the blogosphere. Hopefully we'll enjoy the journey together.