My son and I boarded a boat with a group of kids heading out on a field trip. At the time, I lived in Alaska, and when we took field trips, we went into the wilderness or the ocean bordering our town. This one took us out to explore the mysteries of the wildlife around our seaside town.

When we were all on board, the captain came out to the deck where we were all standing. He had a microphone and began to address us. “I am a curmudgeon,” he started, “does anyone know what that means?” 

There was a silence, and he finally said, “That means I am a grumpy old man.” He continued, “And right now I am in a good mood, and I want to end this trip still in a good mood. For that to happen, you are going to have to listen to my instructions.” Then he launched into everything we were to do to stay safe.

While out on the sea, a student would start into some questionable behavior, and he would say, “Don’t forget I am a curmudgeon, and you don’t want to make me upset.”

One challenge for Christians is to start their journey of faith and not turn into an old curmudgeon. It is easy to start out walking with Jesus full of love, kindness, and hope. Slowly, over time, we become repeatedly disappointed until we are stubborn, grouchy complainers.

A life of faith should make us kinder, gentler, and more patient with age. The fruit of the Spirit should become sweeter with age and not more bitter. The Church is not a gathering of curmudgeons who are ready to explode; it is a group of transformed people who have spent a life with Jesus and become altruistic.