Two experiences I routinely draw upon...
I was raised by a devoutly Catholic father, who has a wonderful sister, who is gay. In fact she was up visiting just this past week and I made a quick to trip home to see her as she's always been my favourite aunt. Love getting out to golf with her. While she was home (she lives with her partner of 35 years down in Wisconsin) we attended Mass on Sunday morning as we always have. In fact, she can probably count on one hand, the number of times she's missed Sunday Mass in her life. Down in Wisconsin, her and her partner are deeply imbebdded in their Church. Now retired and very well off from a lifetime of hardwork, they spend a great deal of time heading and helping a number of the Church related charities, most significantly, a meals-on-wheels program where help cook and deliver food to seniors who are part of the Church that struggle financially, or have a hard time leaving their homes... When I was a teenager, I once asked my Aunt Pam why she continues to participate in an organization that doesn't support her life choices. Among the only times I've ever seen her become stern with anyone she turned to me and said "young man, I have read the Bible front-to-back and I've spent my entire life as a practicing Christian. I'm convinced of two things. The first is that God's final judgment is the only one that I need to worry about, and if He chooses to banish me from Heaven because I'm gay, rather than focus on how I try to be a good person and neighbour, then he wasn't the God that I raised to belive is merciful and who created us with the ability to sin and overcome it... In which case I wouldn't be interested in walking through those gates anyways. The second is that at least I know that hell will be much warmer than Ontario."
Her point was that yeah she was routinely pissed off that the Church deeply frowned upon who she is as a Human Being. Undoubtedly, people in her Church had negative things to say about her and even tried to exclude her and her partner whenever possible, but the real "snowflakes" aren't friggen tough enough to participate in something they believe in, simply because it doesn't kiss their ass. She also fundamentally believes that respect is honouring the traditions and values that the Church believes in, while patiently waiting for modernization to promote change. It takes time... Young people today are Cottonelle Kitten soft. They quit on, or walk away from elements of their life the second it doesn't promote their interest or agenda, or they can't ruin tradition overnight to suit or reflect their personal interests. It's the "right now" generation. They have no patience. They have interest in process or gradual change. They're ****ing babies if you ask me.
888, as a lifelong ND fan and Christian, I'd hope you wouldn't walk out on something you believe in. Even if doesn't currently line up with your values. Tradition requires there to be people that continue to carry it. With passion, vigor, spirit, patience and grace... Even in the face major resistance. ND needs people like you to continue to volunteer, continue to school others on it's tradional values and to not walk away when the going gets tough. Let God make those judgments when the time comes. Just keep being you buddy.
The second experience I often draw upon happened when I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. I played on an extremely successful high school basketball team and we played for one of the most influential people in life, Father Ed, who was the last priest still teaching at our school (he taught history) and he also happened to be one of most respected high school basketball coaches in the country, winning a number of provincial and national championships over the course of his wonderful career in developing young men. I had the pleasure of bring his starting shooting guard for two of those provincial championships and I'll never be able to thank him enough for sticking with a 5'11 kid that had a horrendous junior year in which he lost his stroke entirely and went into the provincial playoffs shooting 24% from behind the arc. Never gave up on me though. Anyways, on one of those two provincial championship teams, again, my sophomore season, two of our senior starters and our unquestioned leaders, we're suspended from school for 3 days right before our first game because they were involved in bullying a kid who was openly gay. Father Ed, didn't say anything about it until they returned to school and to practice, when the Wrath of God well on us, 24 hours before we played our arch rival in our season opener... Father Ed was the definition of a hard ass. His teams won on guts, commitment, toughness and being technically sound. We started 4 white kids and our post player was maybe 6'3. We weren't anything to look at. But his guys were a team... So we always paid dearly as a team. The second we talked into the gym, he pulled us together as a group and scathingly stated "Ian, Jackson, you are not playing on my team for the entirety of the regular season. You may be the two best players on this team, but I'm embarrassed for us all and over my dead body will I coach a team who bullies other people. I don't care what our religion tells you is right and wrong, above all else, every member of this team will treat others as they would want to be treated. I'm disgusted. You're supposed to be role models, not thugs. You damn well better start acting like it." The man was literally in tears. He then proceeded tell Ian and Jackson that if they wanted to remain part of the program they would spend evenings after school on Game days, volunteering at a place of Father Ed's choice. They weren't playing, so they could practice with us, but there was no point of them being at the games, so they ought to spend their time doing something usual for society... If they missed a single practice, got in any other trouble, had any grades issues, or missed a single day of volunteering, they were done. This was all simply for a chance to play in the provincial playoffs should we even make it without our two best players and senior captains... To their credit, they did everything asked of them. To Father Ed's credit he went as far as inviting the gay student who was bullied to be our team manager for his compulsory community service hours that he needed to graduate and to the kid's credit he accepted the invitation, did a hell of a job and actually befriended most of the team... Miraculously, after losing our first two games of the season, we went on a great run, won our region and headed off to provincials. Jackson and Ian were inserted back into the lineup and Jackson wound up being All Tournament and scored 37 points in monumental upset in the provincial championship game against a heavily favored team from Toronto... My mother still has the framed pictured just after we cut down the nets as we are huddled for our team photo with the banner and our gold medals. In the center is Father Ed, swarmed by his guys. In the top right is his his gangly shooting guard with a black eye from an elbow he took a game prior (yours truly). And in the top left are Jackson and Jay (the student who had been picked on) arms around each other, all smiles, in victory.
Sport has the power to heal 888. There is enough bad shit going on in the world today. Negativity is at an all time high. Don't give up on Notre Dame football so easily. Immerse yourself in it. Remember that college athletics, as flawed as they can be, still give opportunities to those who might not otherwise have them. They still often help develop young men into leaders and both help them to uncover and further develop their character.
Sometimes you need to walk through the darkness to see the light 888. Have no fear though, God is with you on the journey, as tough as it may get and as often as your faith may be tested.
Until we meet again, May the Lord hold you in the palm of his hand.
