Boys of the Present, Onward!

1 Samuel 16: 1-13

March 10, our last normal school day, seems so long ago! I emailed our Form II Vestry and Vestry interns these questions: What has changed for you since that day? What has been surprising or good? What has been hard or scary? One of them said, “What’s changed for me is spending much more time inside than outside; I’ve slept in more and watched more TV than usual. My family has been together and has played more Monopoly. One parent said something similar: “Our family has shared more meals together each day than we ever did before, and it’s kind of nice. Usually we go in a million different directions.”

Most of the people who answered were thankful for the chance to slow down, to play instruments more, to Facetime with grandparents, to enjoy the cherry blossoms for a while, and look for signs of spring. But one student from a medical family admitted, “Since my dad is a health official, he has to spend a lot of time at the hospital helping the people who are sick. I am scared that he will get coronavirus as well. I can barely see him. I’ve been reading the news and am scared at how many people are suffering and dying because of the coronavirus. I’m very scared that some of my classmates and teachers might get sick as well. It is…hard to stay in the house so much time of the day because I love being active and being outside.”

Being scared or worried during this time is normal. There is danger and uncertainty. So is grieving over what has changed. It’s hard not to get to see our friends every day, to play sports, or to be together in person right now. But our reading from Scripture and a new Pixar movie called Onward have some wisdom for how we might accept our new reality and move forward together.

In the reading from 1 Samuel, the prophet Samuel is grieving that things aren’t the way he’d hoped they would be with Saul as King. God understands Samuel’s grief, but gently reminds him that they still have work to do. They need to find a new king. Samuel is worried Saul will kill him if he finds out God has sent him to look for someone new; but he obeys God and goes to the house of Jesse to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king after Saul’s reign. A tall, good-looking son, maybe the age of a Form VI senior, walks by. Samuel says, “He looks good!” God shakes his head. “No. I do not see as mortals see. They look on the outward appearance, but I look on the heart.” Samuel goes through seven older boys before God finally settles on David, the youngest. God sees something in David that no one else does because God sees with the heart.

In the movie Onward that I watched with my children last week, there are two brothers. The younger brother, Ian, is scared of everything. The older brother is overconfident and embarrasses Ian. Ian thinks all his problems come from the fact that his dad died before he was born. If he could only meet his father for one day, all his problems would be solved. The brothers manage to bring half of their father back for a day and go on a quest to find the rest of him. Throughout the quest, Ian learns to put more of his heart into what he’s doing, and, as a result begins to see himself differently. As sunset nears and their chance to see their father comes to an end, Ian realizes something. He has been focusing on what’s been missing all his life and he has been unable to see what he does have. He suddenly sees his brother with the eyes of his heart. He knows what he has to do to save them and finds the bravery within himself to do it.

As in the Scripture reading and in the movie Onward, we, too, can learn to see what we already have. God can teach us to see with the eyes of the heart. He is with us as he was with Samuel and David. He gives us what we need to find bravery and purpose inside and to act on it for the good of others.

When you are at home this week, instead of thinking about the friends you are missing, ask God to help you see the people closest to you with new eyes. People you might otherwise discount, who might embarrass you, or seem too small to be important.

Ask God to help you see yourself with the eyes of the heart. To see what you already have inside of you. You are not just men of the future as our school hymn says. You are boys of the present. This moment is yours. The world is full of examples of God giving people what they need to act with courage and love.

In Italy at 6:00 p.m. every day, some people in a town near Milan, come out from quarantine on their balconies; they start to applaud for all the medical workers who have risked themselves to care for others. The movement has spread to New York City and around the world. In Virginia and Ohio, bus drivers take school lunches to children at their bus stops who otherwise would have nothing to eat.

And our gathering today for prayer, imperfect as this is, gives hope to others in our community. To the doctors and nurses who have asked for our prayers. To the alumni who feel alone and need to connect to our community and to know we’re still here. And to each other. We are in this together, moving forward, with God’s help. Boys of the present, stand! This is your moment. Onward!

Amen.