CHAPEL TALK

Asking for Help

By the Rev. John Ohmer, Upper School Chaplain

It’s okay to ask for help. In fact, it’s more than “okay” to ask for help: it’s healthy. And – somewhat ironically – asking for help is not only NOT a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength and confidence. There are a lot of people around you, including St. Christopher’s faculty and staff, who LOVE it when you ask them for help – honest to God, it makes their – our – day! So, you’re doing both yourself, and them … us, that is … a favor in asking for help.

At least I hope that’s the case because, just between us, I asked for help with this homily.

Decades of parish ministry experience taught me that when it comes to occasionally needing help, there are two types of people in the world.

First, there are those who occasionally need help and choose to ask for it. And then, there are those who occasionally need help and who choose NOT to ask for it. Some might think there is a third category of “people who do not occasionally need help.” Well that, to borrow a concept from mathematics, is an empty set.

So, as I sat and thought about what to share with you boys, I decided to ask for help. I asked, “What do you think the boys most need to hear from me in chapel homilies?” I haven’t had the chance to speak with very many people yet. So if I haven’t asked you yet, be grateful. You not only avoided my pop quiz … now you can start thinking about what your answer would be!

But from those few folks I did manage to ask, immediately I noticed several themes. Some common threads. I’ll be talking more about these things in future chapel talks. But for today, to start, I’m simply going to name them for you. First and foremost, you are good enough. Secondly, uncertainty is not a bad thing. Third, transitions always take time.

Fourth and finally, it’s the start of a new school year. There are tests and papers. So much going on; arguably there’s TOO much going on, but that’s the subject for another homily.

But certainly you have A LOT to handle. Probably at times you have too much to handle.

At least by yourself.

So let’s return to the lesson of today’s talk. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s more than okay. It’s healthy and it’s a sign of strength and confidence. And it’s a way you can offer a kindness, by giving the people who love you the opportunity to, yes, you guessed it, to help.

So ... ask for help!

I did, and it turned into a nice little homily, don’t you think?

The Rev. John Ohmer delivered this homily during Upper School Chapel early in the 2022-2023 school year.

Year after year, season upon season, Memorial Chapel is a place of comfort and enlightenment.