Generations

Sunday evening was one of those wonderful times that make me so glad that I do what I do. The sanctuary was packed.
The football players, softball players, cheerleaders, water girls and band members of Piedmont Academy and Monticello High School came together for our annual tailgate service.

While the turnouts for this service have always been good this was the best turnout we have ever had.

We heard from the coaches of both of our local high school football teams. Our community is blessed to have men like Jimmy Hughes of Monticello and Rhett Farmer of Piedmont directing the lives of our young people. Both spoke with a cautious optimism about the coming season.

We heard music from our young people Devon Payne of the Monticello Hurricane Band played a wonderful instrumental selection on the flute and Angelia Brown of Piedmont brought a tear or two to some eyes with her solo. (In the interest of full disclosure Angelia is my daughter but gets none of her musical talent from me.)

Then our speaker of the evening Mr. Lint Jordan took over. When I say he took over I mean he took over. Mr. Jordan is, of course, familiar to many both in this community and in our neighboring community of Gray and Jones County. After an outstanding high school football career here in Monticello he played college football at the University of Alabama.

After a few stops on the football coaching circuit he landed at Jones County where he coached at Jones County High School and later served as principal and finally as the county school superintendent. He is now retired and living in Monticello.

Mr. Lint spoke to our young people in a very straight forward manner. He shared with them the benefit of his wisdom and experience. He had those young people mesmerized. They listened. They truly listened as he spoke of the importance of an education and of making good choices in ones life.

He told stories of his time in high school, college and as an educator. He spoke the truth. When it was all over the crowd came to its feet in thunderous applause.

Mr. Lint will be the first one to tell you he is not a young man. As a matter of fact he played football at Alabama before Bear Bryant ever coached there and the Bear has been retired over 25 years. Yet, Sunday night the gap between Mr. Lint’s age and the age of his listeners didn’t matter. Those young people listened.

Those young people listened, and the reason they listened was because they could somehow sense that he cared about each and every one of them. There is a message in that for all of us that work with young people. Whether we are teachers, school administrators, Sunday School teachers, church youth workers and yes, even pastors, the youth will listen if they know we care.

There are times when every generation worries about the generation that follows them. My parents I am sure felt that way about my generation. Yet, in the key to success for any generation is the foundation that is put in place for it by those who have gone on before. I am reminded once again of one of my favorite passages of scripture which says, “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2a)

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. May we be worthy of the legacies passed to us; yet, may we also pass those legacies on to those who will follow us.