We Start Here

What is your favorite John Wayne movie? I bet many don’t have an answer, once upon a time the Duke was everywhere, and people know which of his movies was their favorite movie. Mine is D-Day. I hate to be such a cliché, especially in a time where we are struggling as a country and we continually look to the forties as “the days of Glory.” It my favorite mostly because it’s the only one I was able to sit through (despite being 100 hours long).

There is a scene in the movie where the Army rangers realize that they are all alone on the wrong beach and they have no real option except to move forward and pursue their goals from where they are. “Well, we will start the war from here,” The commanding officer states. In his book on D-Day Steven Ambrose assures us that this line was never uttered but I like the sentiment. You have to start somewhere.

I have decided that the Freshman building of my local high school is where I want to make my stand for the youth in this community. “Well, we will start the war from here.” It is a unique opportunity; instead of the 2100 students of the High school building there are only 700 to remember. They are not so skeptical as high school aged folks.

Now I want to acknowledge that nothing “starts” there aside from my ministry strategy.  There are many youth workers and Christian teachers that have been praying for these kids long before I arrived in Hamilton a year ago. I am merely a partner to the work that God fearing people have been doing all along. My ministry starts there, it is my Omaha Beach, where I get a toe hold to begin to influence young people above and below the freshman building.