I don’t know Rachel Evans but I think I’d like to have
coffee with her one day. She blogs, and recently reflected on watching the
Olympics in awe of the athletes and with disdain for the analysts and judges. She
was disillusioned by one commentator during a gymnastics competition that
pointed out, “It’s all about the deductions…. In gymnastics, the goal is
perfection.” Check out her insights at http://rachelheldevans.com/celebrating-somersaults.
In the meantime, I challenge you to consider your
perspective on how you view the people around you, particularly in this first
week of school. You’ll sit in class with students who barely scrapped enough
money and/or scholarships together to cover tuition, but they did. You’ll walk
through the hallways with others who never imagined visiting New Orleans (much less living here), but they
are. You’ll wander through the bookstore amid classmates who are overwhelmed by
syllabus shock, but they are indeed still standing.
Instead of handing out deductions for less than perfect
performances, let’s celebrate with each other for being willing to start
something new and different, whether it’s a brand new season of life or just a
brand new semester of seminary. For a lot of us, this week feels like a
somersault on a four-inch balance beam.
And, since I don’t know how to get in touch with Rachel
about having coffee, I’d be just as excited about having coffee with you. Stop
by the Dean of Students office, and let’s see if we can work it out!
