A gang of cynics can upset a whole city; a group of sages can calm everyone down. Proverbs 29:8

As a father, it’s my job to look out for my brood. And for that, I admit, at times I “miss the forest for the trees.”

A touching movie came out a few years ago about a mentally challenged young man who impacted his community…forever.

Based on true events, “Radio” captured the struggle of a community of moms and dads trying desperately to understand the head football coach’s infatuation with a disabled twenty-something young man taking high school classes and disrupting the athletic program.

Their counsel and advice was legitimate, reasonable, and quite understandable. But Coach Jones answered them like a true sage:

I know some of you don’t know or don’t care about all that Radio’s learned over these past few months. But truth is, we’re not the ones who’ve been teachin’ Radio. Radio is the one who’s been teachin’ us. ‘Cause the way he treats us all the time is the way we wish we treated each other even part of the time. Look, I know somethin’s gotta happen here. I know some changes gotta be made. And I know I can’t let what happened last season happen again. So I’ve decided to step down as Head Football Coach.

Needless to say, this young man, not so young anymore (68), and his story has touched the hearts of many. Had it not been for a few sages along the way to issue calm, cool instruction, we may have never got to hear about…the Radio.

Lorenzo