I watched an interview on 20/20 with the husband and wife who took the now-NFL Baltimore Ravens player, Michael Oher, in when he was 15 and homeless. The recent movie The Blind Side tells their story.
The 20/20 interviewer asked a question that grabbed me: “Who benefited more, your family or Michael Oher?” Mrs. Tuohy quickly responded, “We did.” She went on to explain how their house was always buzzing with people who wanted to help. She described it as “communal.”
My mind quickly broke this up into a classic portrayal of a
great movement:
Michael Oher: The cause
Mrs. Tuohy: The champion (leader) of the cause
The school: The support team
The goal: A better life
Once a champion grabs onto a cause, it has a higher likelihood of succeeding, because there are lines of people waiting to follow something great. God put it in our veins.
It’s a really simple equation: The greater the cause + the more challenging the effort + the greater the leader backing it = the more engaged people are to help.
Sign me up!
P.S. Movements are rarely preplanned.
