meditation on getting a pass and making a difference

“And the winner of the contest gets a pass to sit on the bench during the Creighton Basketball game*.”

We often wonder what’s said and done during sport events in the bench areas, or along the sidelines during football games. What is he saying to his players when he nods his head and moves his hands and arms just so? What is the coach saying to the officials? It would be fun to find out. The winner was sure happy.

And I’m sure of one thing—the pass loops around the neck of the winner and stays there. It’s his credentials that he’s official. Security and the rest of the team can look at that pass and will know he can be where he is.

In order to be helpful at the Von Maur disassembling of the door decorations, we’ll need credentialing, too. Von Maur has requested the people who photograph, remove, and store these memorial materials be credentialed. Not just anybody can do it. And that make sense. We all know: “the larger the crowd, the more organized the event has to be. Otherwise chaos can ensue.” We will need to be credentialed. It doesn’t mean we need lots of training. It means we need to be trustable and someone with authority has to vouch for that. (I’ve been assured that anyone who is with me or UCMHE can get credentialed through me.)

That’s really the bottom line—the people involved tonight need to be trustable, because we’re dealing with an emotionally charged memorial, it is being preserved, not trashed. People need to understand how to follow directions. The disciples of Jesus were trustable. First, they were trustable because they were with him on his travels. They were identifiable. Second, they acted (generally!) like they belonged where they were. They knew their responsibilities. Over the three or so years they had together, they learned who was responsible for what.

Tonight, credentialed, trustable people will be handling the life of a memorial. It will be done with “truth and grace.” If you have tender hands and hearts, you can help. You can get credentialed. You can get a pass and make a difference by supporting the emotional and spiritual process of transition. If you can’t be with us, you can make a difference where you are, too, by praying for the victims, the shooter and the city at 8:00 PM. tonight.

Mark 14:12
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, :?Where do you want us to go and make the preparation for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, saying to the, “Go into the city… .”







*(My apologies to UNO fans—it’s just that I heard this on the radio and I went with it—the same idea would work at UNO hockey games, volleyball games, soccer games, you name it).