At some point in your life, if you haven’t already experienced it, you will wonder about your purpose and if you’ve made any difference.
Like many families, the O’Haras worked our way through a list of Christmas movies that we enjoy. A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and Elf’ are always on our short list. But this year we also enjoyed the black and white It’s a Wonderful Life. The angel Clarence gives the main character, George Bailey, a great gift: a chance to see what the world would be like without him. There’s one particular line that struck me and I wanted to share with you as it concerns the future of Christian Service Brigade. It takes a while for George to get over the disorientation of seeing a world much different from the one he lived in. As he does, the angel Clarence shares the point of what George needed to understand,
“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
This quote, the theme of the movie, makes me think of the Vision Statement of Christian Service Brigade, “To see each man taking responsibility to lead, equip, and disciple each generation.”
There is a similarity in thought between these two statements, but there is also a key difference that makes the vision of CSB much more powerful.
The fact is, the millions of touch points and interactions we have with people, big and small, have various levels of influence on their lives. Some are more impactful, changing one’s life direction for a lifetime, while others are seeds sown that may simply add to the collection of influences that one day make a person consider a different way to perceive life.
What we don’t see in It’s a Wonderful Life, we hope exists somehow in the storyline that extends beyond the movie itself. We certainly see that by experiencing a world without his influence, George Bailey starts appreciating the people and opportunities in his life, regardless of how difficult they may be. We hope this newfound appreciation causes George to make an even greater impact on the world. And as the storyline extends beyond that, I would hope that George’s new lifestyle of intentionality and responsibility would extend beyond his own life and carry on through his children and the lives of others in Bedford Falls.
It’s no surprise that when a child grows they begin to exhibit mannerisms like one of their parents, or they have a similar disposition or outlook on life as the ones who raised them. But, unfortunately, it’s also no surprise that, given enough time, beliefs, convictions, and traditions tend to morph, or even fade altogether. You see, there may be similarities that we can trace from generation to generation, characteristics that are picked up almost without any thought. But, it’s the weightier things that require a mutual understanding in order to be perpetuated to multiple generations. A legacy of any significance is one that is not only shared but also passed to one who accepts the responsibility to steward it forward.
We see great power, not just when a man stewards well the opportunity to lead, equip, and disciple the generation in front of him, but more so when he successfully passes the baton to that next generation to do the same. The recounting of the lives of Elijah and Elisha in 1st & 2nd Kings is a great example of this. Not only was Elijah willing and intentional to impart what he had into the life of Elisha, Elisha also took responsibility in seeking the opportunity to carry on the mantle of his spiritual father and mentor. The result was a double portion that amplified the power and love of God, with Elisha performing twice as many miracles as his predecessor.
There is a distinction between mentoring and discipling, and we must be careful not only to model and mentor; we must also be sure to disciple, calling and entrusting the one taking the next leg of the race ahead of us. We, YOU, must extend the baton forward, calling the runner ahead to grasp hold of it with intentionality and commitment to carry it forward. Run together for a bit, but when it is firmly grasped, let him run!
Christian Service Brigade’s founder, Joe Coughlin, was well known for his story of passing the torch. As we have entered a new year, this is a call at every level of our organization to seek out and entrust faithful ones to carry things forward (2 Timothy 2:2). From our national headquarters, our board of directors, our volunteers and donors, and especially CSB Unit leaders nationwide, your greatest legacy and gift will be how you intentionally and successfully pass the torch to be faithfully carried on. I love our vision statement because of its embedded perpetuity for generations to come. I’m not a bushy eyebrowed angel, with a suspiciously common name, trying to earn his wings, but I do have a very important question for you: What will your legacy be beyond the storyline of your life?
