The Express

My family and I sat down Friday night to watch our weekly movie. This weeks pick was the Elmira Express, a movie about the first black American football player to win the Heisman Trophy. It got a thumbs up from all us. I was particularly touched by one of the first scenes in the movies which involved a situation that we would all do well to contemplate more. When all the colleges come calling to court this young player to their schools they are all talking about what they can offer him but the grandfather looks one of the coaches in his eye and asks him what kind of a man he is. His grandson is going to be learning under him, listening to him, asking him for advice. What type of a man is he and should he want his grandson being influenced by him. We would all do well to consider that question in the lives of our children! How many of us simply turn our children over to someone we don't know and give them the responsibility for their character formation without ever considering what type of a person they are! Youth groups, sports, friends, other parents, daycare, school teachers and numerous other situations where our children spend inordinate amounts of time with people whose character is unproven.


Schoolteachers used to be vetted on their character. They were required to attend church, not date and have unquestionable morals. Now we separate their character out as if it is irrelevant to the process of education when in reality it is the cornerstone of the education. A teacher who is an atheist will react to every situation differently than a teacher who has a Christian worldview. Is the coach there as a mentor to encourage Christian value or is he out to win and is willing to sacrifice the child's health and mental well being to achieve it. When that person is sought out for advice in life's drama's what will they tell your child? When there is a conflict in the classroom or on the sports field how will it be handled? These life experience accumulate and add up to form our children's character. Character is not formed in a vacuum. It is a daily accumulation of situations and teaching that build upon each other. Who is your child spending time with?