Button Pushing Faith

Texas Stadium is ten walking minutes from where I live and five more from where I worship God (that is on Sunday mornings). Most people know I am not a Dallas Cowboy fan—Fly Eagles, Fly! That doesn’t mean I don’t recognize the organization’s history and significance in American sports (It does mean last Saturday’s game was horrible!). Just as well, living in Irving only deepens my understanding of what Texas Stadium has meant to Cowboy fans over the last three decades. So, since the new stadium opened in Arlington, it seems everyone has had an opinion about what should happen to the empty building here in Irving.

If you haven’t heard, Kraft Foods has made a deal with the city of Irving to take care of the implosion of Texas Stadium (I’ll get the best pictures I can). The latest news from this undertaking involves a nationwide contest that will choose one young person to push the switch that will bring down the stadium. Contestants have to be between the ages of 9-12 years of age. I know there are many young people deserving of this prestigious honor. But the button can only handle one finger. I would like to suggest one young person for consideration—even though he’s too young to enter the contest.

Jonathon Slack is a boy who might be like any other seven year old, but as great as I think my kids are their Christmas vacation didn’t look anything like his. During a recent holiday trip to Chicago the young man witnessed something many of us make excuses for. How many church conversations have I been a part of that mull over the reasons why we can’t or won’t do anything this common experience? A woman was holding a sign indicating she and her young son had no place to live. Jonathon returned home with his family disturbed, wanting to return and bring the woman the $6 he had. His mother convinced him that probably wouldn’t be the best thing to do, but got him thinking of other ways he could help. You can read the story here. The short of it is that Jonathon got people to donate more than four truckloads of toys and food in a matter of approximately ten days. The donations were given to a Chicago homeless shelter.


I wish this was how more people in the church were. Better said, I wish his was the kind of reaction sermons, times of worship and local mission efforts inspired. Thank God for our children who have a very profound way of teaching and reminding us of our call as God’s people. I don’t know if Jonhathon would be interested in blowing up a building. When I was that age I would be, but look at what is in the kid’s heart right now. Kraft, bend the rules; let Jonathon win!

Here’s what I want you to do: email this post or the article from MSNBC about Jonathon’s story to everyone you know. I want every minister, church leader and pew sitter to read that article and confess our sin against God by “what we have left undone.” Too often church councils and ministry groups are so focused on what they can’t do. In so doing we forget what we can be doing. Thank you Jonathon for waking me up. Stay blessed…john