"An Important Starting Point"
My father did not graduate from High school. He dropped out of high school early his senior year. Of the 13 children in his family, only 5-6 did, and they were the girls. All the boys quit, and took up trades, or went into the military, or both. I bring this up this not as a point of pride, but as an awareness that I have always known that my dad always saw this as a stumbling block in his life. As a cabinet maker, that 11th grade education was perfectly adequate for him to work in the shop, but never to manage it or run or own the company. And, of course, the Army was glad to have him during WW II, but even they told him that there was no future in a military career, unless he went back to high school, and finished.
I think it is important to remember that our children are in many of our cases only one or two generations from a perspective in this country which did not hold the same regard for education, as one could make their way within their life without college, and even without high school, if one could learn a trade. That is becoming less and less true, except in those rare cases of specialized knowledge or ability.
And so, I celebrate the reality of 6 of the New Spirit community’s young people wrapping up their high school careers with that precious thing that many of us take for granted … a high school diploma. Joyful recognition of these people and their accomplishments will take place on May 18th during our church service, and I think that it is wonderful for the church to do so. This represents and important starting point for their adult lives, which only begin now. We who are a bit more ancient may realize that it is only s step in a young person’s development, but it is a critical step, and it is a step that many of our country are not choosing to take, as more and more people drop out of school every year.
If one looks at the statistics, and particularly at those of the large cities of this country, it becomes alarming to realize that the growth of our country seems to have come at the expense of the emphasis on good education for all, and that will come at a loss of our culture and our economic well-being within it. In fact, I recently heard a member of congress rail at the fact that we are spending over $30,000 per year for individuals who are imprisoned in this country, some of whom are incarcerated forever, but currently our (temporary) investment in the education of young people is only less that $7,500 per student, national and state aid combined. This represents a poor picture of investment, regardless of who your advisors are.
You might be saying to yourself that I should be writing about religion or the spirit, but I think that there is nothing that is worse for the collective spirit of this country that I love, and for that matter, nothing which denies God’s creative activity within each and all of us, than denying or de-emphasizing the importance of education. In fact , even as more and more literature seems to be coming out lately denying the importance of a belief in God in our practical lives, citing the short-sightedness and many real problems with the practice of organized religion, I believe that it is the duty of thoughtful, intelligent people to stand up and say "no" to that, by citing all of the intelligent and learned folks who have given the issue careful thought, and have chosen to believe, in some way, shape or form, that God influences life in many ways. One simply cannot articulate an argument like this if one does not have the educational strength to make it.
And so, celebrate God’s creative power, starting by celebrating the accomplishments of our young, and using that to re-emphasize your thoughts and feelings that it is God that has given us the gifts we have to use. But we have to make them real in this world that needs every intelligent, creative spirit to deal with the its many challenges.
Congratulations to Amanda, Devin, Jack, Rachel, Taylor and Trenton. We love you, and are excited about your next steps, wherever they take you.
In Peace,
Pastor Dick Nichols
