NBC, CBS, CNN, and other TV news organizations provided Calvin McCarter a much-appreciated opportunity to explain his recent victory in the National Geographic Bee, as the youngest participant to ever win this contest.  But the nature of the medium understandably abbreviates the explanation, and certain questions still need to be more thoroughly answered.  Calvin, as well as the rest of the McCarter Family, would like to pose a few questions and tell you ‘the rest of the story.’

Why did Calvin win?  Many people have attributed it to genius, hard work and diligent study, or luck.  Now with regards to the first explanation, Calvin is unquestionably endued with a gift for retaining, analyzing, and recalling large amounts of data. And he unquestionably worked hard and studied diligently in preparation for the competition.  But after personally meeting many of the other contestants at the national, state, and local-level competitions, we can safely say that Calvin in no wise had a monopoly in these first two characteristics.  Indeed, he was matched by a significant number of others in these areas among his peers, so that if these were the sole factors there would either be no winner or a multitude of winners.  And the third explanation is implicitly an unrealistic denial that God is providentially in control of everything that happens.  So in the final analysis, we should all admit that Calvin won because God providentially ordered it to be so.

But this just raises another question: why did God providentially ordain Calvin to be the youngest winner of the National Geographic Bee in its history?  God testifies of the answer in His word: "that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ."  It has been the prayer of the whole McCarter family throughout our sons’ participation in the National Geographic Bee that this would be the means for us to proclaim the glory of the Trinitarian God revealed in scripture.  And so we proclaim it to all who are willing to listen and to read.  This Trinitarian God who has so graciously condescended to save man from his sin through Jesus Christ, also calls men to a life of obedience and to bring everything captive to Him.  Even the education of our children should be Christian, for neutral education is a myth, and anti-Christian education is unwarranted rebellion and propagation of falsehood.  Calvin won so we could tell this to you- our friends, our family, and our neighbors.
 

- J. Parnell, Charlotte, D. Parnell and Calvin McCarter