The Real Risk of American Idol

So last Friday night my wife and I went with another couple to their daughter's school talent show. The show was for students from the elementary school who wanted to showcase their talent...and they did. The show was full of kids singing and dancing to the newest pop songs, everything from Bruno Mars to Katy Perry to a medley of songs featuring "I Like Big Butts" and "I'm Too Sexy." Yeah, that's right, 4th and 5th graders singing along to "I'm Too Sexy." It made my stomach turn. To be honest though, my friend's daughter dance routine to "Firework" by Katy Perry was actually kind of cute.

The real problem to me was not that these kids were singing solos and dancing to these songs (although it made me think about the so called "positive influence" teachers have on students). The real problem was that when all was said and done, we were creating a generation of kids who believed they were truly amazing at everything they ever did. All of these kids, whether they were horrible or not (believe, most of them were pretty bad) were told over and over again how awesome they were. Time and time again, a girl would get done with a solo in which not a single note was on key, and everyone would tell her how great of a singer she was. It's sad to say, but she'll probably grow up thinking she's the best singer in the world, and then get herself completely embarrassed on American Idol.

I'm not against talent shows. In fact I think they are great. But the real strength of a talent show like this one is to teach kids the importance of taking risks, which all of them no doubt did. They got up, put it all on the line, and took huge risks. We need to honor them for that, not telling them lies about how great of singers they are. These kids need to know that when they take risks like this, there's a good chance of failure, but that's okay. The point is to keep putting themselves out there, to keep jumping into the ring. The point is not that they are the next Katy Perry or Bruno Mars.

That's what American Idol is doing. It's raising a generation of kids who, supported by their parents, aren't very good at singing, but all want to be in the spotlight. So they'll throw all their effort into something they're not really good at, all the while ignoring their real strengths. It's sad, but true. I wish we could honor kids for the risks they took rather than perpetuating a lie. At least, that's my hope.

Life of Sacrifice

Looking back at the beginning of the United States, virtues like freedom, liberty, justice, and equality seem to have been woven into the very framework of this country. The founding fathers wanted a nation different from all others, one that could serve as hope for all oppressed people. While these principles are noble and worth celebrating, they have not always been upheld by leaders and citizens alike in this country. Tracing back through our history reveals countless examples of dignity being stripped from individuals and the constant denial of equality.

Nowhere is this more apparent than our nation’s treatment of African Americans. From the moment black men and women stepped foot onto this soil, they were oppressed and struck down. Families were destroyed, rights were denied, and wars were fought; yet the struggle continued well into the mid-twentieth century. It was during this time, known as the Civil Rights Movement, that a young black preacher by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. emerged.

Dr. King, fueled by his strong belief in Christ, preached a message of equality for all peoples, not just African Americans. He firmly believed in the biblical call to seek justice and correct oppression, but also the call to “love those who persecute you,” and it fueled his life. From very early on into the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King faced insane opposition to his cause. Throughout his time of championing rights for all people, King was routinely beaten, jailed 17 times, and his house was even bombed. Yet though all of it, he continued to preach a message of non-violence and love.

Towards the end of his life, King started to broaden his focus, not only to issues of racial inequality, but also to poverty as a whole. In early April of 1968, Dr. King arrived in Memphis to lead a march in support of sanitation workers who had been denied rights. He gave an emblazoned speech, now known as the Mountaintop Speech, the night before he was to lead the march. His speech touched on the importance of standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves and the importance of not ignoring our responsibilities as Christians and as human beings. He ended his speech with these words:

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

The next morning, April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Dr. King’s legacy of selflessness and courage lives on, and his life of sacrifice continues to inspire many to reach for greatness.

Lessons We Teach Our Children: Play It Safe

Every parent I know wants their children to live a full and satisfying life, which is of course a great thing to desire. Yet too often, in an attempt to help steer their kids towards this fulfilling life, they cripple them instead. Hovering parents not only save their children from their own mistakes, they also discourage their kids from taking risks. It's sad to me when a student is inspired by God to stand up and do something in this world for good, only to have their parents tell them it would be "too difficult or too dangerous." When has following Jesus ever been safe? For some reason American Christians always take God's promise to his exiles in Jeremiah 29:11 way out of context. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This was never intended as an individualistic statement or as a promise to all of us Christians living in the 21st century that our lives would be free from harm and pain. No, this was a promise to his people who were entering captivity, letting them know that their nation would not end, that God had bigger plans in store for them as a collective whole.
It is true that God has huge plans for us, but these plans call us to take risks and avoid playing it safe. Did Christ play it safe? Of course not. He was hated and eventually crucified, as were so many of his disciples. Following Christ demands we take risks for his sake, that we go into all the world, and eventually lay down our lives for him. Playing it safe will get you killed, but it will be a death of your spirit. Taking risks for Jesus always end with the most fulfilling life imaginable.

Lessons We Teach Our Children: Don't Fail

I was conducting interviews today at a local high school for a new curriculum we are developing for LeaderTreks. In the midst of filming the interviews, I went into another room where a couple of my fellow LT staff were training students for an upcoming mission trip. Whenever we train anyone, we always try to couple an experience with the leadership principles we teach. In this case, the team of students was learning about communication, and subsequently, had half their team blindfolded. The "seeing" students were paired up with blind students, and asked to guide them around obstacles just using their words. Every pair was charged with picking up a single coin, hidden amongst the obstacles, without allowing their blind partner to hit anything. The game plays out pretty much the same every time: screaming, laughing, confusion, frustration, failure, more screaming, and eventually, success. Such was the story for every pair, except for one. For some reason, the girl who could see in this partnership just could not successfully communicate to her partner how to pick up their coin. Every time her partner would get close to the coin, the seeing girl was worried her partner would touch the obstacle and have to start over. While everyone around her experienced failure, which eventually led to success, this one girl would not allow her team to fail, and it cost her everything. She was more afraid of failing than she was of not succeeding, and those are two totally different things.
This is all too common. As parents and youth workers, we are continually imparting "wisdom" to our students that in the end hinders them. When we tell students that failure is the ultimate no-no, we are killing their spirits and destroying in them the likely hood of them ever taking risks. Where would we be if we had not failed along the way? Where would we be if we never took risks? No where. Failure is a part of learning and it's a part of leadership.

Depraved Indifference