Thoughts on Sesame Street
(Okay, having read the complaint that I posted this question on Kaleo 2's Blog and not this one - thank you Amber! - here it is... I would love to hear your thoughts)
So I was thinking the other day about a talk I heard years ago at a luncheon by Tony Campolo, who went on this rant about Sesame Street. He said, "Sesame Street is the enemy of education." That made me sit up and take notice, since everyone usually thinks of Sesame Street as the guru of education (1-2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9-10, 11-12 - see? you sang it, didn't you?). Explaining himself to the shocked crowd (except me - I have never been a Sesame Street fan and wouldn't let our kids watch it), Tony said that Sesame Street does such a good job of teaching the alphabet and numbers and other basics that when kids get to the classroom and the letters don't dance and sing and the numbers are just chalk on the board, they don't know what to do with them. The show is too good, too stimulating, like a whole bag of Halloween candy just before supper. Real life is by stark contrast so ordinary that it can't hold the attention of square-eyed kids.
So I'm wondering: Was Kaleo like that? Was it so stimulating an experience that life on the other side just doesn't do it for you? Jen and I talked about this the other day and she commented that maybe you were all so spoon-fed that - though you enjoyed it - it makes it hard now to pick up the spoon yourself. What do you think? And what (if anything) should we do about it?
While you are thinking, enjoy the beauty of God's creation - not so much the sun and waves and rock, but all these little bumps that are his craftsmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for them to do:
- Lighthouse, Ucluelet, Lask Week
So I was thinking the other day about a talk I heard years ago at a luncheon by Tony Campolo, who went on this rant about Sesame Street. He said, "Sesame Street is the enemy of education." That made me sit up and take notice, since everyone usually thinks of Sesame Street as the guru of education (1-2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9-10, 11-12 - see? you sang it, didn't you?). Explaining himself to the shocked crowd (except me - I have never been a Sesame Street fan and wouldn't let our kids watch it), Tony said that Sesame Street does such a good job of teaching the alphabet and numbers and other basics that when kids get to the classroom and the letters don't dance and sing and the numbers are just chalk on the board, they don't know what to do with them. The show is too good, too stimulating, like a whole bag of Halloween candy just before supper. Real life is by stark contrast so ordinary that it can't hold the attention of square-eyed kids.
So I'm wondering: Was Kaleo like that? Was it so stimulating an experience that life on the other side just doesn't do it for you? Jen and I talked about this the other day and she commented that maybe you were all so spoon-fed that - though you enjoyed it - it makes it hard now to pick up the spoon yourself. What do you think? And what (if anything) should we do about it?
While you are thinking, enjoy the beauty of God's creation - not so much the sun and waves and rock, but all these little bumps that are his craftsmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for them to do:
- Lighthouse, Ucluelet, Lask Week
posted by Jim Badke at Wednesday, November 16, 2005
16 Comments:
it wasn't a complaint Jim! just a statement....
It wasn't a complaint Jim, just a statement
ok... this is the third time I'm attempting to comment... I don't know if it works or not...
but! it wasn't a complaint Jim, just a comment.
That wasn't a complaint Jim...just a comment, cuz not all of our Kaleo 1's read the Kaleo 2's website like me and Dotto and Jordan... nad sometimes July, I mean Julie :)
So I've been thinking about this all day and I'm going to attempt to articulate myself now...
For me, I always knew that Kaleo was not the "real world". As much as I inwardly wished it could be reality, I knew things would change once we left. And even though we were always honest about that fact, it was still really hard to figure out how to cope afterwards. I don't, however, think that's a bad thing.
That "artificial world" of Kaleo provided me with a whole lot of things that I need for the real world. There was Biblical training, experience in ministry outside the context of my home church, and a long-lasting Christian community. But far beyond all of these things, I am grateful for the chance I was given while at Kaleo to deal with some life issues that I think would have been otherwise put off for much longer. Because of the close community and the incredible prayer support, I was able to effectively deal with issues with my dad, with friends at home, and just things within myself. If I hadn't had the chance to do those things, those hurts would still be lingering, still affecting everything I do. If Kaleo had been too much like the "real world" I don't think I would have felt comfortable or able to deal with those issues. I think it's important for students to know that they're not so much learning about real life in Kaleo, but they're being given the opportunity to create a sort of blank canvas of their lives, where they can sort out the hurts and the things holding them back, and re-enter the real world slightly more whole than how they left it.
And, as I read this I realize I'm making Kaleo seem like some sort of spiritual rehab centre...huh, that's not how I meant it to come out. But this is how I feel, whether or not I managed to answer your question, Jim. Sorry if I didn't really keep to the topic, but hopefully it helps at least a little. Also, sorry it's so long. Yeesh, I better stop now...
When I come up with an articulate way to saying the things I want to, I shall post. Until then, I will read your guys' posts.
Hey now, Jordan! You don't have to be articulate to post...just do as I did and think via the keyboard! We value your input.
Was Kaleo too stimulating that life "on the other side" can't do it for you?
What is life suposed to be doing for us exactly? It's not life's responsibility, it's our responsibility!
Kaleo was amazing, yes it was a huge green house where we learned tons, grew a lot, healed and fell deeply in love with God and His community.
I think what is important to realise is how HUGE of a RESPONSIBIULITY all Kaleo gradgualtes have.
Kaleo was so great, we got a taste of life a little closer to the way God designed it! So what do we do about it, go home and search for SOMEONE or SOMETHING else to create that community again for us to live in, NOPE, we know what it's like to live like that , were the experts in it now, it's now time for us to create that community ourselves!
I'll be hard, but Life is supposed to be hard! Jesus never promised life would be easy infact told us the opposit that life for us would be hard and people and things would be against us, but that that's not what matters, what matters is the GOD WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US!
Ahhh there you go Jim. That's my little rant, but 'm sure you've all had it before. What can be done different? Knight the kaleo students, send them off at the end of the year with this as their focus. To go out into the world..........to go out into THEIR woulds and make LITTLE KALEO Communities..make disciples!
I think an OUTWARD focus here is more important than an inward focus. We gotta stop focusing on how good Kaleo was for us and how much we miss it to How good Kaleo can be for the people in our world and how much we want to re-create it for them. Thus by default we'll begin to experience the Kaleo community again!
Ahhhh this may be a little harsh, sorry If I've offended anyone. I'm fairly opionated/passionate about this topic. It's what I've based my ministry on, making Kaleo like communities in my church and with my youth kids..... yah
I concer with Julie too!
Ahhh concer, such a good word! Note to self use it more!!
Well said, Julie! And if you think your comment is long, check out the comments on the same post on the kaleolife.ca blog! Anyway, thanks for all your essays and frank thoughts. Perhaps one day I will write a book on "Post-FreakingWonderfulExperienceWIthGod Depression" or something of the sort. But right now I'm the student, trying to make sense of all of this, and your words - though they sometimes make me sad for you - are very, very appreciated. A question that comes to mind - I think from the Word of God - is, how are you connecting with your local church? "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word... to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Is this not the community we are to create? Not little Kaleo replicas (horrified if I gave you that idea), but build the walls and hallways and kitchens of the Real Thing, the Body of Christ. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." I think it is interesting that Melissa, who immersed herself in her church after leaving here, is coping so well with post-Kaleo. Is that the ticket?
While I do agree that being connected to a body of believers is important and crucial to helping us all readjust.... I also feel it might be appropriate to interject that the example of Melissa that keeps on comming up has no merit to me as an example to follow because even though Melissa doesn't live there anymore, she hasn't left camp. (and Melissa, it's not your life example that I'm objecting to follow, I respect and love you very much, and your life has been a huge example to me, please know this) Melissa is at Qwanoes every second weekend (that might be a high estimate these days, but I know in the beginning this was fairly accurate).. she's never really left and had to go through those seperating pains, her life is still very intertwined with Qwanoes and each following generation of Kaleo that I don't think using her as the prime example of adjusting after Kaleo is a fair or accurate example and doesn't really show those of us that are struggling a real example to follow when we went/are going through the seperation pangs.... no offense Melissa. Where as the example from Kaleo 2's blog from Ultimate Elliot is more of an accurate portral of adjusting well after Kaleo... because he's not within hours of returning....I hope that this doesn't sound mean... that was not my intent... but to hear that the ones who are adjusting fine are the ones that stay within hours of camp does not give me any hope for a good recovery while I feel that for the moment I have been called so far away.
While I agree with all the posts so far, there's something I find that is missing. No clue what it is, but something is missing.
Life after Kaleo:
I think the one point that I really knew Kaleo was over was when I was at Qwanoes after church that Sunday when everyone left. I never left Qwanoes that Sunday. I remember being the ONLY person on Qwanoes at that moment. I sat infront of the Chapel trying to hear something, all I heard was nothing. I remember that sort of empty feeling you get when you realize you have home sickness. I wondered why I had this feeling, then I realized, Qwanoes isn't my home, that place is not what makes me feel at home, it was the people. I think that was one of the loneliest moments I've ever felt. Although at the same time it was so good to sit and ponder what had just happened to all of us over the past 8 months.
It's now 2 years since that moment I sat at that spot. I read your posts and what is life like after Kaleo, and to a certian extent I cannot connect with any of you. As I said before, for me Kaleo isn't Qwanoes, it was the people, which is part of the reason I created iKaleo as a place for us to connect and share thoughts, dreams, events, happenings about our lives.
Does "life" do it for me? Life is to a certian extent is however I create it. We all created what we wanted Kaleo to be through our attitudes, actions, emotions. I would have to say, that yes, life is still doing it for me, but it is so much richer, fuller, ...God filled now then it was before going to Kaleo. I will forever thank Jim for even accepting me into Kaleo. As I look back on it, I really don't think I was ready for Kaleo (Can you ever be?). Kaleo has been the one point in my life where I was getting stoked (for lack of better word) for God. I actually experienced God. Never before in my life had I done that to that extent before.
Feeding the Baby:
I'm not sure if this applies to me, or maybe it does and I have been spilling my hot soup on my lap for 2 years. What can you do to help people transition? When I was reading your posts I kept getting the story of the disciples in my head. They initially did not want to go out to the ends of the earth, it took actual persecution for them to finally go out and preach the news to all the nations. Do I think we need to persecute the Kaleo students? No that is not what I am getting at (although it would be kind of funny to see Jim persecuting us to get us to talk to others). I think that one thing that can really help the transition back to hometurf would be to make sure the Kaleo students keep in close contact with someone from their church back home, whether that be Pastor, Youth Pastor, Edler, Friend, Mentor, etc. Keeping in close contact with their parents is also key. Parents need to be kept in touch with what is happening. This is where Kaleo students need to show maturity, responsibility, and vulnerability. Do some parents even care about what happens to their youth at Kaleo? Some no, but I think that it shows a great amount of respect to them for thinking about them and taking the time to write about the happenings in your life. And last but not least, constant updates to your prayer people. I'm not sure if we ever did this or not in Kaleo 03/04 but I think this would have been a great idea. Keeping our prayer people in the know of what is happening in our lives and struggles that need prayer.
Well this is my 4:30am compilation of thoughts. I'm sure there's a ton more out there but I thought about it long and hard, and I think these are some key things to keeping the Kaleo students connected back to their home turf and family, which I strongly believe is the key to helping the transition back to "normal life".
Oh ya and another thing I thought I would add is:
For every spiritual high there is an equal spiritual low.
Just a thought...
Wow this is so intense Im trying to keep track of what has been said because I have something to say about it... but I need to organize my thoughts
but I really appreciate the comments jordan and melissa your helping me get closer to articulating my opinion
so this is just a trailer for kaitie's opinion hehe :)
Wowsers... I always wondered what an opened can of worms looks like, and now I know. This started well, but I am beginning to realize that words on a screen are easily misinterpreted. Let's be gentle with this cold, hard medium. It can be a bit like trying to butter toast with a machete. Blindfolded. With ski mitts on. In a crowded bus. I wish we could all sit by the fire in my living room and talk about this. Nuts, I just wish you were all in my living room and then we wouldn't have to talk about this. Sorry, Melissa, for placing you on a pedestal. And sorry, everyone else, for not listening well. I accept your words as trustworthy and your feelings as valid. I will sit back for a while and listen.
I've been trying to think of what to say......I have so much stuff in my head but I don't want to go on the defensive side and I don't want to attack.
So for now I'll just point this out. I'm not a few hours away from Kaleo. I can't go back to kaleo anymore than you can. Our Kaleo was the community. I got to hang out with Kaleo 2 but I wasn't Kaleo 2.
Camp is not a crutch for me. Going back to camp won't help. It's fun and a great treat but not a crutch and my weekends @ camp is not the key to my current state. It wasn't easy for me to work 5 days a week, run THRIVE and WORK @ camp on the weekends.
Ahhh I feel like I'm in a difficult position, I don't know what to say. Already I feel bad about defending myself....and I feel like I could go on for another page or 2. Sorry! There needs to be another way I can express myself. So I'll be silent for a wile to try and figure out how to do that. But I just want to finish off by saying again that Camp is not a crutch for me just like Christianity is not a Crutch for life.
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