They had loyalty, a sense of justice, cheerfulness, unity, were sacrificial, were willing to swallow defeat in the face and move on - they were a bunch of good kids. And however they may appear in front of the teachers, the vulgarities they sprout and the unruly behaviour they exhibited at points - those are but just superficial impressions of 'bad' boys. The outlawic gestures do not define them, and even as society demands expectations of such cosmetic changes, thats easy to deal with.While easing myself into their lingo and befriending them, I realised again the feeling of uncomplicated sincerity. And I acknowledged, they had good hearts.

The boys were a mix of Secondary 1 and 2 and were from a mission school's Basketball team, taking part in the second division's matches as they had won 1 and lost 2 matches the previous day. Another lousy defeat to a team younger than them and the way they handled it, an opponent's team jeering at them which caused mutual retaliation (it did not escalate due to the presence of teachers) Such events did allow me to have a deeper appreciation of how the boys stood together as a team. But the event that stood out the most for me was when I had tried to find out their response to the gospel.

I had kept in mind that Chapel service at school, the constant empahsis on aspects of the gospel message and the insistutional Christian atmosphere which encircled them each day probaly already hardened their hearts to the message - but still. While I could converse with them with everything else, the gospel message was what they are put off by and 'closed' to. And if it were explained just simply, it was an instant conversation ender with faces all frowning or sianed.

It is just saddening that when they had heard it so many times, they never really listened to it before - and in this way, the very repitition of such a structure positions those who are so close to it so much further away.

Familarity breeds contempt perhaps.

Labels: Life

---

_Past

June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009

---