Rev. Kristi Hintz, superintendent of the Northern Skies District, uses the children’s game Sharks and Minnows to ask whether the call to resilience is wearing thin and how we nurture hope.
KRISTI HINTZ
Superintendent, Northern Skies District
I am not a fan of the game Sharks and Minnows.
For the uninitiated, here’s how it’s played. A large, open space suitable for running is designated. Children who will be minnows line up at one end. Then the child designated as the shark calls out from center field: “Fishy, fishy, cross my ocean!” or simply “Go!” The minnows must “swim” across the open field to reach the other side safely.
Depending on house rules, any children who have been tagged stay where they are and become “seaweed” that cannot move from a rooted spot. From this rooted place, they assist the shark by tagging anyone who runs by close enough. For the tagged, the objective changes instantly as they shift from prey to predator.
I have seen children enjoy this game, but if it goes on long enough, it becomes problematic for several reasons:
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- Someone who has been “caught” by a shark insists they haven’t been. This tends to challenge the shark’s integrity. The challenge is often not well received.
- Someone runs into someone else.
- Someone who desperately wants to be a shark hasn’t had a turn yet and can’t take it anymore.
- Changing roles quickly can be challenging.
As the adult in charge, watch carefully for any signs of unraveling. If they appear, it’s time to move on to another game, or, better yet, a snack. We assume that a popsicle or a craft project can provide a smooth transition, and we count on children to be resilient.
We also count on adults to be resilient. Resilience, by definition, is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to change, adapt, and keep moving forward. It may help to acknowledge that resilience asks a lot of both adults and kids.
Rev. Dr. Vicki Loflin Johnson, founder of The Art of WellBeing coaching, wonders in a recent newsletter if the continued call to resilience is wearing thin among church leaders. How long can we bend and pivot with grace amid constant change? Rev. Dr. Loflin Johnson asks, “When you hear the word resilience, what happens inside you? Does it feel encouraging, exhausting, or something else? What word would you rather hear right now?”
Without much thought, the word that came to my mind was “stoic.” Well, that can’t be good, I told myself. Using the term in its modern definition rather than the ancient Greek stoikos (meaning “of the porch or colonnade”), I sense a need to weather the storm, to hold steady, to hold fast to values, faith, and loved ones. Perhaps, in the end, not unlike the columns of an ancient Greek porch after all.
But is being someone who endures patiently enough? Where is the joy in that kind of existence?
Like a child turned into rooted seaweed, patience can get a little, well, boring. The hardest part of Sharks and Minnows for children is staying rooted. Most can’t do it. How can a child be expected to be stuck in an arbitrary spot while everyone else is free to run? Even for the rare child who accepts that rules are rules, it’s nearly impossible to extend their arms without moving their feet as others run past. It’s counterintuitive, especially when a passing runner is just a tiny bit out of reach. It simply isn’t fair.
At the end of the day, we’re all in this together, sharks, minnows, seaweed, the whole ocean, in fact. To live in community, we must surely endure some things with grace and patience. Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair. That’s okay. That’s not the whole story.
Learning to live together with grace isn’t boring. Skills like resilience and flexibility have been the order of the day for as long as we can remember. Just as running is in the nature of children, it is in our nature as Christian siblings to heal, to try, and to wistfully and earnestly hope.
This fall, I’ve been considering these questions: What is lovely, important, necessary, possible, or sacred? What does God have planned for today? What is new? What’s behind and what’s ahead?
How can we nurture hope when we feel a little tired, disoriented by rapid change, and wish we had more control? Trust and a sense of belonging to the whole are key to navigating these waters. We may confess that we are tired of pivoting, tired of swaying gracefully in every breeze that comes our way. Yet, as children of God, we never tire of our sense of wonder.
What is lovely? Important? Necessary? Possible? Sacred? What does God have planned today? What is new? What’s behind and what’s ahead?
May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude toward each other, similar to Christ Jesus’ attitude. That way you can glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ together with one voice (Romans 15:5-6).
The ministry of our district superintendents is made possible thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on October 26, 2026