• From my journal: Some provocative TV moments came the other morning when Robin Roberts of Good Morning America instantly added forty years to her age. With the help of Hollywood makeup artists, the 45-year-old Roberts not only assumed the appearance of an 85-year-old woman but also, using technical devices provided by Boeing, simulated the physical limitations and the aches and pains of one.
Out in public, the disguised Roberts experienced the snickers of young people and the impatience of those who were more vigorous.
As a pretend 85-year-old, Roberts found herself unable to climb stairs without a cane, to reach her arms higher than her shoulders for a can of food on the grocery store shelf, or to rise up out of a living room chair unless she had assistance. And that was the beginning. Every moment she was conscious of an unreliable body. Call it an awakening for her … and for me.
I thought it interesting when Roberts came to the conclusion that much of the everyday achievements of aging people can be considered nothing short of a heroic effort.
The truth? I don't think I've ever thought of the routine activities of an aged person as heroic, but I do now.
I was sobered by the Robin Roberts experiment because of the many times I (in my typical schedule-keeping) have felt irritation at the slowness of older people exiting a plane, ascending a staircase or, with arthritic fingers, fumbling for change at the checkout counter. I just never thought of these actions as heroic.
I was caused to ask myself, what are we doing to old people in our churches when we plan worship sets of music (40 minutes of standing on bad knees and weak hips) and turn up the volume of our speaker systems until it literally causes pain to aged ears. I have other questions, but these will suffice.
Needless to say, I have, for the first time, repented while watching the morning news.
• Reviewing my digital pictures: I have just returned from Korea where I ran smack into the Asian church. In most gatherings I was the oldest person in the room, and for once it was a real plus. I was honored beyond deserving.
The Koreans I met were kind to listen to me but it didn't take long to realize that I was the one who should be listening.
I saw passion—not in words, but in execution. Pound for pound (it seemed to me), Korean pastors study harder, pray more vigorously, and pursue world evangelization more energetically than I see here in my home country. According to Christianity Today, the Korean church sends out more international missionaries than any other country in the world.
I saw an enormous amount of servanthood. On my way to various churches where I was scheduled to speak, I saw scores of well-dressed, middle-aged men out on the streets directing traffic. Many of them, I was told, were company CEOs and high-ranking managers. My driver (don't tell anyone I had a driver!) was the president of a large auto-parts manufacturing company. If I hadn't asked, he wouldn't have told me. I thought it amusing that on most days, he was the guy in the back seat.
Korean women were active at every level of church life: worship leaders, administrators, servers of food. They were not reluctant to take charge in timely moments.
I saw prayer in action. At one conference of several thousand where I gave talks, I was led to a side-room in which there were 250 intercessors who had signed on to pray for me through the day. When I came through the door, they cheered me. My first thought was that I should be cheering them.
Most of Korea's Christianity is only 100 years old (next year), and can be traced to the efforts of one or two missionaries who faced mortal danger (the first one was executed) to bring the name of Jesus to a closed country. Now 35 percent of South Korea is said to be Christian. Red neon crosses (marking churches) dot the cityscape of Seoul, which claims a population of 21 to 23 million people.
The future? Most likely dominated by Asians. Probably a good idea to tell your grandchildren to study Chinese as their second language.
• There is an Asian proverb which suggests that if you travel from one village to another carrying a stone with you each time, you will eventually build a mountain on the second site. The proverb speaks to the issue of patience and persistence—something I'd like more of.
• My chief encourager, my wife, Gail, gave me the following in a card as when I left for Korea:
Lord, as I grow older, I think I would rather be known as …
-thoughtful, rather than gifted,
-loving, versus quick or bright,
-gentle, over being powerful,
-a listener, more than a great communicator,
-available, rather than a hard worker,
-sacrificial, instead of successful,
-reliable, not famous,
-content, more than driven,
-self-controlled, rather than exciting,
-generous, instead of rich,
-and compassionate, more than competent,
I want to be a foot-washer.
• A friend's description of William Wilberforce (1759-1833): "His mental energy never flagged. We were often amused at the capacity of his pockets, which carried a greater number of books than would see … credible; and his local memory was such that, drawing out any author, he seemed instantaneously to light on the passage which he wanted. In addition to the stores of his pickets, a large green bag full of books filled a corner of his carriage, and when we stopped at our inn in the evening it was his delight to have this bag into the parlor, and to spread part of its stores over the table. He kindled at the very sight of books" (from Kevin Belmonte's biography Hero for Humanity; Navpress, 2002).
• Finally, a one-hour special on the growing problem of youth gambling can be found by going on line to Americanradioworks.org and ordering their program, "Logging on and Losing Out," which was broadcast on National Public Radio in early April. I would think every parent, grandparent, and youth leader would want to hear this.
Pastor and author Gordon MacDonald is chair of World Relief and editor at large of Leadership.
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