Last night a new spelling bee champion was crowned.  My wife and I along with a couple friends of ours watched the last two contestants duke it out for the title "Scripps National Spelling Bee Champ".  Believe it or not it was quite exciting.  A word is given (always one I have never heard before).  The contestant then usually repeats the word and then asks for a definition.  Then they might say the word again (to make sure they don’t forget I guess) and then ask for the language of origin.  With all that information they are able to piece together how the word should be spelled.  Now…if that is not impressive, I do not know what is.  In the end, a 13 year old girl from New Jersey won the title by spelling u-r-s-p-r-a-c-h-e.  She was making her fifth and final appearance.  FIVE TIMES!  WOW!  You have to be good to even make it to this event.  Very impressive.

Then this morning I was watching Sports Center on ESPN (Ooooh, big surprise).  At the end of each Sports Center they show the Top Ten plays from the day before in the world of sports.  At number 6 was the 13 year old girl from New Jersey winning the spelling bee title.  Number 6???  That’s it???  Numbers 5 through 1 contained nice looking catches from baseball, a hockey goal and a college girl striking out 18 batters in a softball game.  If they are going to include the spelling bee champ in their top ten list, shouldn’t they be number 1?  I guess that goes to show you what is more important in our society.  We value great "athletic" feats over intelligence.  I guarantee you that this 13 year old girl had to work harder than any of these athletes.  Imagine standing on a stage with millions of people watching trying to spell:  u-r-s-p-r-a-c-h-e

That can not be easy, yet she is deserving of only number 6.  That is sad.  What message is being sent to our kids?  I have kids who miss church because of sports.  I have kids where sports are the bread and butter of their lives.  These kids have been taught that you need to succeed in sports to be somebody.  Their parents are not necessarily pressuring them, but society is.  Look at the state legislature.  They have been spending way too much time talking about sports stadiums.  Give me a break.  Let’s talk about getting more money for education so we can see more kids that can spell    u-r-s-p-r-a-c-h-e in their sleep.  Something needs to change.  Sports lasts for only a moment, but education lasts for a lifetime.  Our priorities are way messed.

Excuse me a second as a climb off my soapbox…<pause>…there I am back.  But one more thing before I go, in the end let’s not lose what is really important.  Jesus said, "Where your treasure is there you will find your heart".  Where is your treasure?  Have a great weekend and God bless.