DAILY STRENGTH FOR MEN
February 24 (day 1)

AN ESSAY FOR MR. VERNON

"The LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7 NRSV

Israel desperately wanted a king. Saul looked like the perfect man for the job - he was rich, tall, strong, handsome, and even humble. On the battlefield, he was a fierce warrior and stron leader. But Saul couldn't follow God faithfully. Ultimately, God had to replace him as king.

In the film The Breakfast Club, five students must spend an entire Saturday serving detention in their high school's library. As they gather at 7 a.m., they see each other as their classmates and teachers see them: "as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal." Their interactions during the first few hours are dictated by the preconceived notions that they have of each other, notions that are reinforced by each person's outward appearance.

As the five begin to reveal more about themselves, they realize that they have a great deal in common: experiences, dreams, fears, and feelings of isolation. By the end of the day, the five have become friends and united against a common enemy: the vice principal, who required each of them to write an essay. One student, the "brain," writes the essay for all of them:

Dear Mr. Vernon,

We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention
for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us
write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to
to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But
what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a
basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,
The Breakfast Club

The Mr. Vernons of the world look only at your outward appearance. God knows your heart.