Article #9 - Fourth Series - June 12th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

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One Thing, Jesus Christ - Article #9 - Fourth Series - June 12th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

Article:
Billy Currington’s song “People Are Crazy” tells a story about a conversation between a young guy and an old man at a bar. 
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The two talk about politics, life experiences, God’s grace, life and death, and much more. The old man then shares his life philosophy with the young guy, “God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.”

Some people just have a knack for sharing decades of life experience and the knowledge of a thousand books into just a few words. The old man in Currington’s song has this gift and he shares it. 

The Bible has much to say about wisdom and experience among those who have lived many years. The Book of Job states, “Wisdom is with the aged, with long life is understanding” (Job 12:12). The Book of Proverbs adds, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver” (Proverbs 16:16). 

The young guy could have ignored the old man and kept his eyes on his smartphone or just stared at the HD 72 inch television screen in the bar. Instead, he chose to enter into conversation with the old man. Clearly, the young guy didn’t regret it.

Young people need instruction. Young people need to receive wisdom. Young people need to learn about life through those who have lived it for many years. Young people need to encounter witnesses who have experienced difficulties in life and have overcome them. Young people need to encounter happiness and love in the face of suffering, difficulty, and illness. Young people need to learn how to reflect on life by listening to the stories from the elderly. 

The phrase “God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy” means something to the young guy when looking into the eyes of the older man. It means something to the young guy who learns in the conversation that the older man has served in two wars and has been married and divorced. The young guy no longer sees an old man, but rather a friend, mentor, and father-figure.  

On July 25, 2021, Pope Francis asked this question on the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, “When was the last time we visited or telephoned an elderly person in order to show our closeness and to benefit from what they have to tell us?” Pope Francis also added, “Let us not lose the memory preserved by the elderly, for we are children of that history, and without roots, we will wither.”

Pope Francis then concluded his message with these words, “Young and old, the treasure of tradition and the freshness of the Spirit. Young and old together.”========================

Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.