No Deductions for Trying!

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!