Who Do You Rub Shoulders With?

This past weekend was the Confirmation Retreat; a weekend away at Camp Lone Star to study Holy Baptism in detail. The pictures below show the first activity of the day. John, our DCE (Director of Christian Education), split the 96 people into four groups. He then asked them to open up all the newspapers so that everyone could scan them quickly. When everyone was ready...the competition began (a little competition is never a bad thing). John asked people to find an article of theft...murder...Islam...poverty...environmental issues...etc. The first team to find such an article received a point. This continued until a team had 7 points.

Immediately following the completion of the game, John asked each team to crumble up each piece of paper so that we could have a paper bomb war. Each team diligently wadded up paper and poised themselves for battle. John blew the whistle and off it went. Newspaper everywhere, the sin of our world tossed with real force through the air. It was a sight to see.

When the game had ended, John asked everybody to look at their hands. Stained with newsprint!! He made the point that rubbing shoulders with culture can rub off. We are to be in the world...not of it. In baptism, God sets us apart and calls us to live as fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. In baptism, God wipes away the stain!