Last Wednesday, the church that I mentor at, had an event called Silver Ring Thing. It is a program where the youth groups from around the area get together and have a show/concert about abstaining from sex. It is a very hip, very cool program and I am all for the concept. Aside from moral reasons, there are a ton of positives that come from babies not having babies. It is hard on young girls to finish their education with a baby to care for. It is hard to makes ends meet when their parents can't pitch in. It is hard to break out of the cycle that is created by teen pregnancy.
But in reality, I am glad that I am on Spring Break this week and wasn't at the show/concert. I know it seems sort of strange that I would not fully support a program with good intentions, but I don't. Why? Because I believe the foundation of this program is built on hype and emotion. And the emotion lasts about 2 days. I had several boys last year that bought a silver ring and committed themselves to waiting to have sex. All of them had the ring off of their fingers in two weeks time. The show was cool. It created a "herd" mentality. Lots of teens put on the ring. And it failed.
So what is the answer?
It's just my opinion, but I think it is time for men to start being men again. But I know how hard it is nowadays. Our favorite recliner chair calls at the end of a hard day and we just need to rest. Maybe we have to mow the grass or wash the cars. Maybe you're a fan of American Idol and you just can't miss the show. And maybe, just maybe, you would go out and mentor a young man and help him find his way and help him through his struggles, but the University of Kentucky is playing basketball and you have to root for five or six perfect stranger black kids for 2.5 to 3 hours. No way could you miss that!
People that have made a difference don't sit around and wait for someone else to do the job. Jesus didn't sit around and play with a dreidel. He went out with twelve guys, 24/7 for three years, and took his teachings to the Pharisees, the prostitutes, the lepers, and the "unwanted". Mother Theresa didn't think the orphans, people with AIDS, or the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor and homeless, victims of floods, epidemics, and famine were too messy for her. But in a group of 2500, not one man will stand up to help the boys in their community.
Every week my "bad" boys tell me that they have had sex, taken drugs, got beaten at home, suspended from school, didn't have enough to eat, got in a fight, that there parents are high on Meth and Crack or drunk daily, or they are flunking school. And they are bombarded constantly with the media, or rap songs, or their situations regarding home life. Young girls dress sensually and ask for them for sex. The local high school had 48 girls last year that got pregnant and had babies.
In other words, these boys need help. They need a man to help provide them with guidance. Most of these boys don't have a father or mother at home. Most of these boys need someone to take them fishing on weekends and to have someone to talk to. Most of these boys need someone to tell them what the life consequences of their actions can have. These boys need someone to care.
So the next time you see me (and you know who you are) don't tell me about how Kentucky is doing on the court, don't tell me about how tired you are, and don't tell me that you are not well enough equipped. Don't complain to me about teen pregnancies going up in the community, and don't complain to me about crime rates going out of control. Get in the trenches. Get dirty.
Get off your butts and make a difference in the life of a young man.
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