Three Things That Feel Like Reality

February 5, 2009

By: Jeff McSwain

I want to give you three different snapshots of some of the recent rich and meaningful happenings in Reality Ministries. On Friday night we had our first, but definitely not our last, Roc the Mic. This was a brainchild of staffer James Franklin. All of the sofas throughout the Center were brought in for comfy seating, and the big room in the Reality Center was transformed into a coffee house, complete with free Starbucks coffee. After the guitar and song solos, including some original rap from DSA phenom Dominique (aka "Drama" as in "Drama-nique"), our friends hung around for another hour enjoying the friendly atmosphere at the RC. The night was full of Christ-centered hospitality and a unique affirmation of kids with some truly remarkable gifts. It was a unique and awesome night! While James and I were walking the halls of DSA today, someone shouted out, "When's the next Roc the Mic?"

Then, on Saturday morning, the scene shifted to Fetzer Gym on the campus of UNC, where an area-wide Special Olympics basketball tournament was being held. At the invitation of the Hoovers, many Reality staff and volunteers attended to watch John Hoover strut his stuff on the court. It was great to cheer on John, but I personally did not anticipate seeing so many other Tuesday Night Live participants there. TNL kids and parents were everywhere we turned. I especially enjoyed watching our Special Needs Directors, Susan and Samantha, winding through the complex of basketball courts and being greeted as if they were celebrities. I don't want to overstate it, but it was a potent reminder to me of Jesus walking through the streets of Palestine and his name being called out gleefully by society's marginalized.

Finally, on Monday afternoon I saw another beautiful picture of the love of Christ. If I had to describe the typical youngster who hangs out at the RC these days, it would be a 7th grade African-American middle school boy. Last week some of the boys were involved in a stealing incident at the RC. Cameron pulled three of them into a room on Monday to talk with them about it. They entered and slouched down. Cameron said, "We've recovered the i-pod, but what concerns me most is not that it was stolen as much as the idea that I think you guys know who took it but didn't tell me the truth when I asked you." Cameron said, "Telling the truth is hard, and we lie because we're scared, but a real man has the courage to tell the truth."

Cameron read to them the Bible account of Jesus chasing away the money changers from the temple. After some give and take with the guys Cameron said, "Jesus chased them away because they were using the temple for a purpose it wasn't made for, and in the same way, Jeff and I see what you guys are made for, and you are made to be men who are loved by God and who love him and who have a truthful purpose to your lives...that's why I am confronting you about what happened, because I care about you and your future. We don't want you to settle for the counterfeit. In fact, we are going to start having a pizza party for you guys on Fridays, and we are going to talk about what it means to be real men." The guys got huge smiles on their faces, but the best part followed, the part that put more than a smile on their face, the part that I think probably put an indelible mark on their hearts. Cameron pulled out a piece of paper and described the good attributes he had noticed about each individual. I felt the Spirit move, and it was if each boy's chest swelled as his name and qualities were listed. I saw that they were blown away that someone would voluntarily take the time to write down some good stuff about them, and I am virtually certain they had never experienced anything like it. What started off like a sour visit to the Principal's office ended up feeling more like being knighted by the king. I have a feeling these young men will be less tempted to steal or lie next time. The power of the gospel is at work in their lives.

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