Mats Are for Walking On

Have you ever felt like a not-so-welcome mat that gets walked on from time to time? Ya, I think we all have. Getting walked on hurts. But so does doing the walking on; it just hurts us in a different way. Getting walked on, hurts our inherent dignity and value. Doing the walking on, hurts our slowly but consistently developing character. Either way, whichever side we find ourselves on, victim or perpetrator, we lose.

What's the answer? I think it may be equality. Seeing ourselves equal with all other humanity and thus, not interested in doing any walking on or being walked on. Stepping aside to help another up when they have been trampled and humbly accepting the help-up from another when we're the one trampled.

You know, when you think about it, we're all guilty and we're all victims. We've all done some trampling and we've all been trampled. I guess we're already equal whether we know it or not. That's nice, because then, there really is no need to play the blame game or point fingers. Just change. Change is all that's left to do. It's all that needs to be done. We change. We commit to a 2016-17 year at Logos where we make every effort to say, "Let's not walk on one another. Let's walk beside one another." 

The poor get walked on. They get this treatment intentionally and unintentionally. It's a result of so many factors - some very easy to identify and some not so easy. It's no use pointing fingers, not today anyway. It's only useful to help enact change. That's what we get to be a small part of at a great school like Logos. Change. The Asian Hope village development program (VDP) has employed families in economically challenged areas to make floor mats. These floor mats will be on sale at Logos on Thurs. Oct. 13th from 2:30-3:30PM and will be available all day in the office. When we purchase these mats next Thurs., not only will we be supporting the employment of some hard workers but all the profits will go to buy much needed school supplies for some precious students who, just like us, want to get ahead in life. They don't want to make floor mats. They want to be engineers, teachers, doctors, social workers, business leaders, and providers for their families. Sound familiar? Ya, we're all the same.

Let's make sure we buy all those mats. And when we do, let's remember what they stand for... or on. They represent our commitment to say, "I'll walk on this mat but not on you. You and me side by side we'll stand together to help-up all those we can, in anyway we can." 

Selfie challenge. 1. When you purchase mats on Thurs., take a selfie of yourself and someone you have recently reconciled with, become friends with, want to spend more time helping/listening to, from another grade, etc. standing arm in arm on one of your purchased mats. Make sure we can see the mat in the pic. 2. Then, write a little blurb explaining the reason you chose that person to stand with. 3. Submit pic to Mr. Barrett. (Picture may be posted at school, on Facebook at work Logos, or show up in a school slide show, so, please do not submit pic if you do NOT give permission to post, display, etc. All postings/displays will be for encouragement and school morale purposes). 

Standing with you all,

Mr. Barrett   

Deadpool or Cesspool?

      

If there's one thing Hollywood is making clear these days, it's that they sure don't care much about any potential moral sensibilities that you, your children, your faith community, or anyone for that matter may have. The new Marvel movie, Deadpool, is case in point (keep in mind that Disney owns Marvel). With it's extreme violence, horrific language, and blatant nudity, including a lengthy and very revealing sex scene, this movie is even pushing the envelope of a rated R movie. In fact, I'd say, based on the reviews I've read (obviously, I'm not going to see the movie for myself), that this movie will be a part of redefining what we've come to expect of a rated R movie. No longer will rated R stand for "restricted" but instead "raunchy", "rank", "reckless", and "reprobate." Sadly, these very adjectives that define what rated R has come to stand for will likely not make the movies that bear that rating repugnant and repulsive to people but, remorsefully, more attractive.

I pray that this will not be the case for the Christian community. As Hollywood redefines what rated R stands for with movies such as Deadpool, I pray that many of us will decide that paying for and allowing our eyes and ears to take in this raunch, is not worth keeping up to date on movies, staying culturally relevant, wanting to be included, or whatever excuse we may use to consume this type of garbage.

Boycotting movies and the movie industry is nothing new to the Christian community. Some conservative denominations since the 1920's have suggested complete abstinence from anything with Hollywood origins; others simply warning against the unguarded consumption of anything and everything put out on the bigscreen.  Although, the former is likely too extreme and can be arguably uncalled for, the latter seems especially pertinent in light of a movie release like Deadpool. The least we can do as Christ followers is to read a review or two (like the one attached) and make a decision that is God glorifying.

Warning to students: If you haven't seen Deadpool yet, please read the attached review and ask yourself, "What will this movie offer me that I will be missing if I do not see it? Is it really worth it?"

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=38443187&nid=1205

If you have seen the move and believe this blog to be too conservative, restrictive, or legalistic a perspective then you are only proving that Hollywood has won. It is having the exact influence over you, your community, and likely your whole culture that it aims to have. If there is conviction that comes with the reading of this blog, I empathize with you. I too, do not like being convicted. But I'm sure glad the Holy Spirit keeps hanging around an old sinner like me and guides me to walk around the cesspool and not swim through it!