Opinion : Pastor\'s Blog - So, What Does it Say About Me if I Am Last?

I noticed in a local publication a list of the names of the 2012 Graduates of Vinton-Shellsburg High School with an invitation to sponsor a senior in a future edition. If past practice holds true, students will be pictured in what amounts to an advertisement for the sponsor and, I suspect, a revenue producer for the publication. What caught my eye was that in bold print over the list of names was the encouragement, “Call early for best selection!” Several of the names had been crossed through, having already been selected. It gave the impression of a clearance sale where everything must go. As we know, the good stuff goes early. I am confident the writer did not intend what I inferred.

In the years when I had children in high school, I noticed a trend of making into contests and competitions things that did not need to be so and creating winners and losers when the only thing at stake was the feelings of those involved. It was consistent with the popularity of such shows as “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” (The latter, by the way, is something different from the service for graduates known as “Baccalaureate.”) I recall raising a voice of protest when there were judges at the Prom Grand March to award prizes in categories such as “best dressed.” Instead of being a “here I am, isn’t this fun” moment, students were subjected to grading. It wasn’t the kids’ idea and fortunately they ignored the whole thing and were gone before the winners were announced. The recent, unfortunately worded ad cast the same sort of pall.

I am not opposed to honest competition and reward. However, in this case those chosen first are not “best,” nor are those chosen last, or not at all, somehow worse. These are not NFL draft prospects. These are not puppies at the pound. They are young men and women who have earned the privilege of being recognized for graduating from high school.

I am confident that what happens is that those wishing to sponsor a student prefer to choose someone known to them, maybe their own children, employees or neighbors. The ad was just an unfortunate way of expressing that more than one may wish to sponsor a particular student. We wonder if there would be anything so terrible about having to sponsor someone unknown but who also is part of the class.

We are reminded of how easily we make human beings into commodities and use them for our own purposes. We should know that words have meaning and feelings can sometimes hurt. We may even think about how Jesus’ promise that the first will be last and the last first is good news, and also bad.