Duty and Call

 

1^st Grade Student: Ms. Deaton, can I tell you something?

 

Me: Yes.

 

Student: You can’t tell anybody, okay?

 

Me, feeling a little worried about what I was getting ready to hear, not knowing if I was going to need to tell somebody about neglect or abuse: Okay.

 

Student, reaching in his pocket: I found this on the playground.

 

Me, concerned that he had found some type of weapon or a condom…

 

Student, opening his hand: Now don’t tell anybody.

 

Me, relieved to see that it was a 50/50 raffle ticket…

 

Student, excited, with a sense of awe and wonder: You see these numbers? I’m gonna use them  to win the lottery!

 

He was so proud of himself, and so very hopeful, and all I could do was smile as he stuck the ticket back in his pocket…and silently ask him for forgiveness because I knew that I was going to tell his story.

 

Here is this kid whose parents are dead,

Who lives with his grandparents (who evidently play the lottery 😊),

Who loves to wear either a bowtie or a huge (fake) golden chain,

Whose skin is brown,

Yet whose innocence sees nothing but goodness and possibility in this world.

 

…

 

Friends:

Let’s do our part to fill the world with goodness and possibility so that everyone—

Those young AND those old,

Those with AND those without significant childhood trauma,

Those who have everything AND those who scrape to get by,

Those who fit in AND those who are different and unique,

Those with white skin AND those with brown and black skin—

Has an opportunity for happiness, love, and joy.

 

Standing against society’s injustices may be hard.

Recognizing privilege may be hard.

Naming personal judgments may be hard.

Doing something about the wrongs we see may be hard.

But it’s our call if we profess to follow Christ and

It’s our duty to common humanity if we do not.

 

Amen.