What Are You Going To Do?

I’m reading ‘What are you going to do?. In the 1950s Everett Swanson, seeing the plight of starving orphans in South Korea, was confronted with the question: ‘What are you going to do?’ The book tells of his response…

Four recent conversations…

Sunday… two fourteen-year-olds deciding on their options for their GCSEs… whether they’ll do history or geography, art or drama, food technology or religious studies… We talked about what they enjoy now, what they’re good at, what they hope to do in the future… Big decisions, reflecting ‘What are you going to do?’

Yesterday… two gents. Rob’s in his mid-fifties, considering early retirement, making exciting plans for his future – holidays, moving house, new projects, family involvement. Gary, in his sixties, is out of work, struggling to work out what comes. He’s made a tentative step or too, but is uncertain what his future holds. Both are facing ‘What are you going to do?’

In 1941 Everett Swanson was ministering in Mount Vernon, Washington State. Americans responding to the War… young men drafted into the military… young women with ‘Rosie the Riveter now a role model’.

Rosie the Riveter? Wikipedia tells me that she: ’…represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who joined the military. She is widely recognized in the “We Can Do It!” poster…

Rosie? What are you going to do? Embracing something different… considering the needs of others… stepping up with confidence and assurance… serving as part of a team.

Everett? What are you going to do?: ‘The Swansons, as a family, visited homes and farms during the week, sharing both meals and burdens. They prayed with traumatised soldiers, mourned with bereft spouses, stood graveside with hollow-eyed parents. They listened as parishioners voiced questions and doubts.’  

Malcolm? ‘What are you going to do?’ Rosie and Everett set me a challenging example.