A Place Where I Can Be Batman
2023 Youth Sunday
by Isaac Cravey
Before I was even born this church was ready to welcome me with open arms. Ready to watch me mature and grow, from the people my parents asked for advice to the people who would take care of me in the nursery and those who would be Sunday school teachers and youth sponsors.
My dad has a lifelong friend whom I call Uncle Matt. Their birthdays were directly after each other’s, so they would swap the same gifts each year as a joke. When my dad was in sixth grade, he stumbled across a “small” wooden statue about three and a half feet tall weighing around fifty pounds. This statue became a part of their birthday exchanges, showing up on doorsteps and in cars when the opportunity presented itself. The statue eventually earned the name Shahira.
As my dad and Uncle Matt got older Shahira got passed back and forth less and less. My dad moved to North Carolina and my uncle to Alabama and both became more “mature, responsible” adults who didn’t have as much time for that sort of tomfoolery.
Years had passed since Uncle Matt had last received Shahira and it was the day of my dedication at the church. If you go back and watch the video of my dedication you may assume my dad is overcome with emotions, with his hand covering his eyes and his shoulders shaking – in reality he noticed that someone decided to join him for this momentous occasion in his son’s life. Shahira was standing up in the back of the sanctuary next to Bill Ingold who had a big smile on his face. Bill and Michael were coconspirators with Uncle Matt. This was my introduction to College Park and where I get my sense of humor.
- Literally some of the earliest memories I have are of this building – being in this exact room / in the chapel when it still had its blue shag carpet;
- Putting together backpacks, thinking of it more as a game and not really understanding how I was helping;
- Eating my peanut butter sandwich on Wednesday night, because even now ingredients are scary;
- Joining the youth group for games before I was even a member;
- Even memories of visiting people who were in the hospital like Agnes Joyner and Cynthia Stone. I was always a little uneasy because of the big machines and odd lighting but my father explained that showing up meant something. At the time I didn’t understand why it was important but as I’ve grown, I’ve realized what it means to just be there for someone.
As I got older, I participated in church activities without my parents. One of my first times at an overnight camp was Passport Kids with College Park. That is where I learned that just because it was an unlimited buffet doesn’t mean you fill your plate with just bacon.
One of my favorite memories as part of this church was my second year at camp. We were watching the talent show and one of the last performances was a kid named Houston who donned an ill-fitting Batman suit. He started off with a tribute to the late Burt Ward and Adam West then continued into a very long semi-improvised spoken word performance including many interesting Batman facts to keep us on our toes. The room was silent, allowing Houston to perform.
I was worried; I was worried that they would laugh at him; I was worried he would cry; I was worried it wouldn’t work. I knew that if someone got up on stage at school they would laugh and call him names and I didn’t want that to happen to Houston. Finally, the serenading came to a close on a very long and drawn-out note. The auditorium full of hyper little campers was still and quiet. A second went by and out of nowhere an applause that would rival a stadium full of Swifties ERRUPTED. For the rest of the week Houston was a rock star
It was a special moment, a community with their full support around one person. That is what College Park has been to me – a place where I can be myself and perform MY Batman poetry or more specifically the hymn “I am his Child” that some of you may remember from over a decade ago.
In the future, I hope to find a similar community that will embrace and support me the way those campers did Houston and the way that you have done for me.
Throughout the years, I have had to alter the person I present to feel more comfortable in the groups I am part of. In essence they are all the same person with the same sense of humor and values, but as I move from school, youth, work, and home I adjust which attributes I put out into the world. With my best friends and my family, I am unfiltered. While I am at church, I may censor myself a bit more but I know that no matter how I act or what I say it will always be a safe place for me.
For example, when I was in middle school one of my favorite shows was The Office. If you are unfamiliar, one of the main characters on the show has a catch phrase that implied that the previous sentence was said by a woman in a flirtatious manner towards him. (A show of hands if you know the phrase I am referencing.) To a middle schooler, this was some of the best comedy out there. In 7th grade I was a bit unoriginal with my comedic bits, so this phrase became a part of my daily repertoire. I used this phrase RELENTLESSLY, including one morning in Sunday school with Jared Webb. Even though it did get a laugh, it also warranted a text to my parents who tried to explain why I should not be making these jokes in Sunday school, while also trying not to laugh. I was relieved that Jared did not scold me try to humiliate me. Instead, he handled it in a caring manner. This did teach me to think before I speak but it also taught me that I will not be ridiculed or punished at church for messing up, which has held true.
College Park has always been a constant for me. Even if I have not always been fully aware of its impact, it has always been a place I return to.
One of the reasons I am drawn back here is the people who have been influential in my life. Bill Ingold helped me sculpt my pinewood derby cars, welcomed me to blackjack games as a kid, and took me shooting to practice for my hunter safety competition. The youth sponsors (Kevin, Adam, Walt, Hyatt, The Joyces along with many others) have driven us to and from youth events, sacrificed their time each week, and have been examples of what we as future adults should try to be without being condescending (that is where you talk down to someone). Lin Story-Bunce and Michael Usey have been examples of patience and kindness and are always willing to help, including taking the time out of their week to help me write this sermon.
In the scripture it reads “I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?” One of the things I have struggled with growing up is finding the right way to describe my faith. For me it’s difficult to call myself a Christian when many others who do use their religion as an excuse to spread hate and negativity into the world and it makes me wonder … why does God bother with us? But my experience at College Park has taught me that Christianity is about finding ways to help others when they need it and treating people with kindness. It is more important to be a decent human being and to love my neighbor than to try and force Christian values onto others.
At every stage of my life College Park has been teaching me.
- From putting together backpacks for the BackPack Club to helping rebuild homes that were damaged by the hurricanes I learned that it feels good to help other people.
- From eating peanut butter sandwiches on Wednesday nights to having dinner on Sunday nights with the youth group I learned what it felt like to be a member of a loving community.
- From visiting people in the hospital to supporting friends through hard times I learned how to be a constant for others as College Park has been a constant for me.
Entering a new stage of my life with so many things changing, I will remember these lessons I have learned about acknowledging and celebrating people’s differences. I want to be someone whom other people will feel comfortable being their true selves with. I will also take with me the lesson that College Park has taught me to do the right thing when no one is looking or when it is not asked of you. I want to give God a reason to take a second look and I want him to see through me that humanity is worth bothering with.
I did not have a choice in when or where I was born or how I was raised, but when I think about the community I am a part of I cannot help but feel grateful. I have had examples of kindness and acceptance. I have learned to serve others while helping my community and that everyone deserves justice (kind of like Batman). When I remember that night at Passport and the crowd responding to Houston sharing his love of Batman, I also think about how College Park supports and encourages me. As I move on to the greatest university in the state of North Carolina (NC State for the Tar Heels), I hope to find a similar community where I can be myself and make people take a second look.
