In October of 2000, a movie starring Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, and Kevin Spacey came out that coined a phrase and started an international movement that stays with us today.

Pay it forward.

Tasked with a social studies assignment to think of something to change the world and then put it into action, seventh-grader Trevor McKinney comes up with the idea that instead of doing a favor for someone who has done you a favor, pay the favor forward. So he decides to do three good deeds and asks those individuals to “pay it forward.” The story is much more complicated and convoluted (of course), but the message is clear—even the smallest act of kindness can have a huge impact on people.

This movie came immediately to mind when I was reading Psalm 78. Here are verses 2-8 of the psalm (emphasis mine).

2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old--
3 things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
4We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their ancestors--
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
    whose spirits were not faithful to him. 

Psalm 78 is all about Paying It Forward—spiritually. Yes, it is important to do good deeds, to show the love of God in practical ways, but it is eternally important that the people now and in the generations to come know of the faithfulness of God. Know of the things He has done, and the things He is doing. Know of His sacrifice of His only son in order to restore an eternal relationship with us so that generations to come can make a personal decision to claim Him and submit to Him as their Lord.

May we never forget to Pay It Forward.

I don’t know about you, but for two weeks I spent a lot of time in front of the TV watching the Olympics, and two things stood out to me.

The focus of the athletes and the fervor of the spectators—those in the venues and those watching remotely. 

It didn’t matter which sport I was watching—track and field, volleyball, table tennis—the look on the athletes was always the same: concentrated focus on the task at hand. Too many years, too much pain, too much sacrifice was at stake. They were determined to win. For some that meant a medal. For all it could be a personal best.

The spectators were no less committed. As the athletes prepared, readied themselves—silence. Once the action began—an eruption of cheers and encouragement. No matter which country, the reaction was the same—unadulterated desire and support for their athlete to prevail.

It is no wonder that Paul uses athletic competition to convey the physical, mental, and emotional journey of the Christian.

I Corinthians 9:24: Run as though to get the prize.

As Christians, we are all in the race. And what exactly is the race? It is three-fold: 

1. to pursue holiness--But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy” (I Peter 1:15-16).

2. to love--“Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (I John 4:7). 

3. and to spread the word about God’s gift of salvation--“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

So let us be as focused on our goal, as those athletes are on theirs.

Then in Romans, Paul reminds us to have that same unadulterated fervor—for our race  and for the success of all of those in that same race:

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:9-11).

And let us consider how we may spur one another one toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).

Though the Olympics have come to an end, let us not lose the focus and fervor in our own race that the Olympics so beautifully manifest.

I just returned home from celebrating a milestone birthday for my brother. His whole family (minus one son-in-law) was there along with my mother, sister, and a niece and her family. Though I know he means a lot to his daughters and wife as a father and husband, and to my mother as a son, for my sister and I, he is our brother, and that is its own special category.

He never got a choice at being a brother. He was born into it. 

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He didn’t have to accept the role. In fact, one year he didn’t. When I was a freshman in high school and he was a junior, he was telling everyone I was his cousin. But I forgave him, because at that point in his life, he didn’t claim to have any family.

But the rest of the time, he accepted the responsibility, which was what?

I was only 18 months his junior, so he was my playmate, my competitor, and my irritant. (He woke me once by lifting my bed off the floor and then dropping it—multiple times.)

He was my protector (He would float down the creek with me); the source of all knowledge (He had an answer for everything); and the fixer of all problems (After my college graduation he drove my Ford Galaxy four hours to my grandparents. No big deal? Well, something was wrong with the accelerator cable and he had to work it by hand. Good thing he was 6’3” with long arms.)

From then on, he was my hero.

Neither the years nor the distance have changed our relationship. Whenever we are together, he’s my big brother. I still turn to him for advice. Feel safe and secure when I am around him, and still believe he can fix anything and has the answer to everything.

​James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights . . . .:

​I thank God for this wonderful gift of my brother.

I just returned home from a week in Ashland, Oregon. If you are unfamiliar with Ashland, it is known for its Shakespearean Festival, which hosts more than just Shakespearean plays in its three theaters.

We (my mother, sister, niece and I) had tickets to see Much Ado About Nothing on Friday. On Wednesday, a notice went out that the play was canceled for that day due to an illness which had swept through the company. Thursday the same notice came out again. But on Friday, nothing. A call to the box office confirmed that the play would be going on that night.

That evening, when everyone was seated, the creative director came out and started listing all the understudies who would be taking the stage that night. She suggested we hold our applause till the end of the list—it was extensive.

The result? The play was fantastic and in the eyes of the audience—flawless.

Too often we hold understudies in a lower regard than the principal players. We might consider them “less than” or “not as good as” the actor who was chosen for the part. And while that is true to some degree (the powers that be preferred A over B at this particular time) these actors were considered good enough to take over the role when needed.

Understudies show up in all walks of life and appear in the Bible as well.

Back-up quarterbacks, relief pitchers, bench sitters may not be considered the best to start the game but they are certainly viewed as important enough to step in if needed.

Biblically, Joshua was Moses’s understudy; Elisha, Elijah’s; the disciples, Jesus’s.

The second chapter of James is all about the sin of favoritism, primarily because we are using a skewed measuring stick—outward appearance rather than state of the heart. Rahab the prostitute will trump the uncompassionate Pharisee every time. The wealthy who threw in money from their excess fell far short in honor to the poor widow who offered her final two mites (Mark 12:41-44).

Let’s be careful not to esteem those in a backup role (including ourselves) less than those who currently have the spotlight. God has placed everyone in their current position and in His timing, and His timing alone, will move them up if necessary.

Through the eyes of a child the world is one of awe. They delight in the small wonders: a little bug on the ground; a flower just beginning to bud. A helium-filled balloon held by the string in the palm of their hand.

But all three of these insignificant events bring new knowledge and life choices for these little ones:

What kind of a bug is this? What is it thinking? Do I put it in my pocket and take it home with me? Do I kill it or let it live?

Does the bud smell? What does it feel like? Do I pick it and take it with me to enjoy or let it keep growing?

A balloon holds both present fascination and future potential. That is the allure of a balloon. That is the quandary of a balloon. Do I hold on to it so that I can enjoy its present beauty, or do I open my hand, release it, and imagine where its new journey will take it.
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As adults we often eschew the small for the large. We look for big events and miracles when there is power and meaning in the small ones that are all around us. We have forgotten the magic of the small.

Psalm 104:24-25: How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number-- living things both large and small. 

This next week, I challenge us all to look at the world through the eyes of a child. We might learn something, discover something very precious, or find the answer to a  life question.