Baby You Can Drive My Car...

Remember your driver's test? You know - the one where mom or dad took you to the DVM and you allowed a stranger with a clipboard into your car and did your best to impress him or her with your braking, three-point turns, signaling and (gasp!) parallel parking? I remember mine - I the man looked a little like Captain Picard from Star Trek: Next Generation. He was practically bald - but a cool kind of bald; he wore mirrored sunglasses and a scowl that looked like he had it painted onto his face. "Alright, let's go!" he barked as he strapped himself in. He yelled at me to turn into the three-point turn area and grunted as our Cutlass Cruiser station wagon stalled not once, but twice along the way. I can still feel the sweat. After I parallel parked, he opened his door to check my distance from the curb, closed the door and began scribbling on his clipboard.

The tension was palatable. But it didn't taste good.

"Did I pass?" I sheepishly inquired.

"Yeah, you passed," he growled, emphasizing "passed" like I had said it. I don't think he liked me - I don't think he liked anyone - but, hey, I had my license!

My point here is that there are people that we meet along our way, who come into our lives in significant moments for us but ordinary ones for them, and they remain impressed into our memories forever, even though we may never see them again. I don't remember that guy's name (he remains forever to me as "Angry Driver Test Guy"). As a priest - as a representative of the Church, I am aware of this strange fact of life. Every wedding, baptism and funeral I do - especially if they are not that acquainted with the Church - I see as an opportunity to give a person, couple, or family a positive experience of the Church. So many people have said that they "left the Church" because of this or that priest. Often, this is just a cop-out for taking responsibility for letting their faith fade; however, I am not so naive as to think this doesn't happen.

Youth ministers and pastors who work closely with young folks have this graced opportunity to be that positive experience for our young people. They faith future is in our hands, and they will remember our contact with them - for better and for worse. Yeah, they might "pass," but whether or not they had a friendly, open presence to help them along that course can make all the difference as to whether or not they decide to take a "driver's seat" in building up the Church in their life.