" 'The Buried Life,' the New Bucket List "

“The Buried Life” is an MTV reality television show about a handful of good-looking fellows who travel around the United States inspiring Americans to “live out their dreams.” Essentially, it is a young man’s version of the Jack Nicholson film, “The Bucket List.” The cast created a to-do list to finish before they kick the bucket or get buried six feet under. Their recent accomplishment? Shooting hoops with the President. Nice. Scratch that one off the list.

Watching these young men being interviewed really got me thinking. What is the point? What is the motive for doing all of this? Having a list of goals to accomplish during your lifetime like graduate school or owning a home is admirable. Having a list of nonsensical pursuits purely for the sake of saying,” I did that!” is kind of narcissistic. One hundred years ago, you never would have heard of such an endeavor. Case in point, several days ago I read about some of the major events in history from that week. I read about a nobody Grecian soldier who ran 25 miles from the city of Marathon to Athens to tell his fellow citizens,” We beat the Persians!” (one of the greatest empires in history). His wearisome journey became one of the greatest events in modern day athletics- the 26.2-mile marathon. I read about a Russian ambassador under Lincoln (1866) who after witnessing cruel and inhumane treatment to horses created an agency protecting animals (ASPCA) and later, mistreated children. I also read about the Confederate General Lee who humbly surrendered to Union General Grant. When resistance ensued from the North to the South, Grant graciously told his men,” The war is over. The rebels are our countrymen again.” Grant went on to become the 18^th President of the United States of America.

These men did not have “bucket lists.” They struggled just to get from one day to the next, to make sure their crops were harvested before the winter frost hit, to see that at least a few of their kids survived childhood and their wife, childbirth. These men were ordinary who when faced with insurmountable difficulty, rose to the occasion and became extraordinary. These men, these stories became defining moments in history.

So what I realized about the cast of “The Buried Life” is how empty their pursuits are. They think that if you jump out of an airplane, bike across the country or shoot hoops with the President you will have meaning in your otherwise mundane existence. But the truth is, life is not about what we accomplish. Life is about standing up for truth, seizing opportunity and loving the individuals we come in contact with. In Christian terms, life is about following God’s will and proclaiming the everlasting life that is in Christ Jesus. A nothing foot soldier, a forgot-about Ambassador, a General with an almost lost war, rose to greatness because of their greater purpose. They could have given into weakness or fear but instead, chose grit and determination.

So if you create a "bucket list" consider God’s will, love for they brethren and hope for a greater future when writing your "goals." Even if you never go down in the history books or play ball with Barack I can guarantee that if you live your life according to God's plan and purpose for humanity you will find fulfillment. No basketball skills required.