Chuck Colson on Townhall brings up a good point about Jason McElwain and respect for ALL life.
McElwain is the autistic boy who got a chance to play basketball on the last game of the season and hit 6 3's in 4 minutes. It was a very touching moment for those who have seen the video tape of it. Colson is hoping for more.
Not more fame for Jason McElwain, but for people to realize something. There is something more important that what someone does.
the most important lessons we can learn from kids like Jason: What makes their lives worth celebrating is not what they do; it’s who they are. For me, what really mattered most was the love and respect shown to Jason by both his teammates and the crowd.
We know Jason as the autistic boy that hit 6 3's. Obiviously his teammates and the crowd knew him much better. They were ecstatic when he got put in the game! They knew him and how much it would mean just to play. The coach hoped he could make a shot. Not for the team, but for Jason. Everyone was rewarded that day. And that is how it should be. We are more than what we do.
We were watching the TV show "Miracle Workers" the other night. It a charitable show and not afraid of people expressing their faith. The stories are touching, but I noticed a misguided sentiment in one of the families. They wanted their daughter to be cured of Tourette Syndrome. But the main reason they wanted the cure was so she could be productive in society. Obviously they wanted her not to suffer also, they weren't cold hard communists; but they kept repeating that they wanted her to go to school, hold a job, take care of herself....
They defined her as what she could or couldn't do. I was amazed at what she did even while suffering from tourettes. Her determination and will to carry on was amazing. I agree with Colson on how the crowd and teamates treated McElwain. To me that is what respecting life is about.
It's a model for how all life should be treated, and anything less is missing the point altogether.tip to DFO
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