Month: December 2013

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together

Funny how there are some stories that are retold through the centuries with little question of actual occurrence due to widespread acceptance of the inherent wisdom…

 

David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him.  He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry.  Israel and the Philistines moved into positions, facing each other, battle-ready.  David left his bundles of food in the care of a sentry, ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers.  While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge.  David heard him.  The Israelites, to a man, fell back the moment they saw the giant — totally frightened.

 

But David, the youngest, smallest — thought to be weakest — was not afraid…

 

David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine.  David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply.  The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt.  That’s how David beat the Philistine — with a sling and a stone.

 

Something about that account makes me smile and cheer every time.  There’s something about David’s underdog status that feels good… something about the victor who no one simply expected to be there… something about not taking success for granted… something about faith and hard work and humility that’s attractive…

 

On Friday night my sons’ high school played in the Division II football state championship.  They had never won before; in fact, in the school’s 132 year history, they had been to the playoffs only 4 times, netting a single game victory.  The school had no championships in any sport.

 

We were playing a team known for their athletic tradition, a team coached by a well-respected man, whose son plays in the NFL — a team boasting several starters fully expected to also succeed at the collegiate level.  Noting the massive size of several of their lineman, the Goliath comparisons came quickly.

Imagine then our humble glee when on this freezing, snowy night, shockingly, our boys raced to a 34-0 halftime lead.

 

As the clock ticked away — and victory became more sweetly apparent, the thousands of us that travelled the approximate 4 hours, began to catch a glimpse of what we had actually grasped…

 

Here was a group of young men — young, impressionable teens — who were about to taste something that could propel their confidence to new levels, arguably spurring them on, boosting their self-confidence for whatever’s next in life…

 

They worked hard.  They believed in one another.  They encouraged one another and held each other accountable.  They played and prayed together.  They had a vision and belief in what they could accomplish together, united, as a team! … not this me-oriented thinking that is so prevalent in today’s society within leadership and perceived success.

 

The student body, staff, administration, and community all then rallied around them.  Friends from outside the community — former residents, adjacent school families — they rallied around.  There was no negativity, no permeating criticism, no dwelling on what we weren’t or aren’t or have never been; rather, there was a community focus on together, who we could be and what we could accomplish.  Let’s cheer these growing young men on… in celebration… together.  Amazing what unity will do… how good it feels.

 

There’s just something about the victor who no one simply expected to be there… something about not taking success for granted… something about faith and hard work and humility that’s attractive…

 

Well done, boys.  Well done.

 

Respectfully,

AR

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could you keep an open mind?

Rarely do I simply repost the words of another, but there are aspects of the below piece that strike me as profound.  It’s written by Kirsten Powers, a liberal Democrat I’ve admired for years.  Powers is a nationally known contributor to USA Today, Newsweek, FOX News, and The Daily Beast.  Here is an edited version of her story, sharing how of all the people surprised by her decision to become a Christian, it was she who was most surprised…

 

Just seven years ago, if someone had told me that I’d be writing for Christianity Today magazine about how I came to believe in God, I would have laughed out loud. If there was one thing in which I was completely secure, it was that I would never adhere to any religion—especially to evangelical Christianity, which I held in particular contempt…

From my early 20s on, I would waver between atheism and agnosticism, never coming close to considering that God could be real. After college I worked as an appointee in the Clinton administration from 1992 to 1998. The White House surrounded me with intellectual people who, if they had any deep faith in God, never expressed it. Later, when I moved to New York, where I worked in Democratic politics, my world became aggressively secular. Everyone I knew was politically left-leaning, and my group of friends was overwhelmingly atheist.

 

I sometimes hear Christians talk about how terrible life must be for atheists. But our lives were not terrible. Life actually seemed pretty wonderful, filled with opportunity and good conversation and privilege. I know now that it was not as wonderful as it could have been. But you don’t know what you don’t know. How could I have missed something I didn’t think existed?

To the extent that I encountered Christians, it was in the news cycle. And inevitably they were saying something about gay people or feminists. I didn’t feel I was missing much. So when I began dating a man who was into Jesus, I was not looking for God. In fact, the week before I met him, a friend had asked me if I had any deal breakers in dating. My response: “Just nobody who is religious.”

 

A few months into our relationship, my boyfriend called to say he had something important to talk to me about. I remember exactly where I was sitting in my West Village apartment when he said, “Do you believe Jesus is your Savior?” My stomach sank. I started to panic. Oh no, was my first thought. He’s crazy.

When I answered no, he asked, “Do you think you could ever believe it?” He explained that he was at a point in life when he wanted to get married and felt that I could be that person, but he couldn’t marry a non-Christian. I said I didn’t want to mislead him—that I would never believe in Jesus.

 

Then he said the magic words for a liberal: “Do you think you could keep an open mind about it?” Well, of course. “I’m very open-minded!” Even though I wasn’t at all. I derided Christians as anti-intellectual bigots who were too weak to face the reality that there is no rhyme or reason to the world. I had found this man’s church attendance an oddity to overlook, not a point in his favor.

As he talked, I grew conflicted. On the one hand, I was creeped out. On the other hand, I had enormous respect for him. He is smart, educated, and intellectually curious. I remember thinking, What if this is true, and I’m not even willing to consider it? 

 

A few weeks later I went to church with him… [when] the pastor preached. I was fascinated… Each week, [Pastor Tim] Keller made the case for Christianity. He also made the case against atheism and agnosticism. He expertly exposed the intellectual weaknesses of a purely secular worldview. I came to realize that even if Christianity wasn’t the real thing, neither was atheism.

 

I began to read the Bible… After about eight months of going to hear Keller, I concluded that the weight of evidence was on the side of Christianity. But I didn’t feel any connection to God, and frankly, I was fine with that. I continued to think that people who talked of hearing from God or experiencing God were either delusional or lying. In my most generous moments, I allowed that they were just imagining things that made them feel good.

Then one night in 2006, on a trip to Taiwan, I woke up in what felt like a strange cross between a dream and reality. Jesus came to me and said, “Here I am.” It felt so real. I didn’t know what to make of it. I called my boyfriend, but before I had time to tell him about it, he told me he had been praying the night before and felt we were supposed to break up. So we did. Honestly, while I was upset, I was more traumatized by Jesus visiting me.

 

I tried to write off the experience as misfiring synapses, but I couldn’t shake it. When I returned to New York a few days later, I was lost. I suddenly felt God everywhere and it was terrifying. More important, it was unwelcome. It felt like an invasion. I started to fear I was going crazy.

 

I didn’t know what to do… I was desperate. My whole world was imploding. How was I going to tell my family or friends about what had happened? Nobody would understand. I didn’t understand. (It says a lot about the family in which I grew up that one of my most pressing concerns was that Christians would try to turn me into a Republican.)

I remember walking into the Bible study. I had a knot in my stomach. In my mind, only weirdoes and zealots went to Bible studies. I don’t remember what was said that day. All I know is that when I left, everything had changed. I’ll never forget standing outside that apartment on the Upper East Side and saying to myself, “It’s true. It’s completely true.” The world looked entirely different, like a veil had been lifted off it. I had not an iota of doubt. I was filled with indescribable joy.

 

The horror of the prospect of being a devout Christian crept back in almost immediately. I spent the next few months doing my best to wrestle away from God. It was pointless. Everywhere I turned, there he was. Slowly there was less fear and more joy. The Hound of Heaven had pursued me and caught me—whether I liked it or not.

 

Respectfully…

AR

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losing faith

What happens when people lose faith in the one who calls the shots?

 

I wonder what happens when the people’s trust erodes…

… when results fail to match unquestionably high expectations…

Can the leader still be effective?  Can the leader still lead? …

 

In Houston, once hoping to soar to unprecedented professional heights this season, the Texans found themselves losing multiple games and their leader, Texan QB, Matt Schaub, throwing multiple interceptions.  Once revered as the beloved franchise quarterback, Schaub found himself instead the target of weekly, intensifying boos.  While Schaub was mercifully bailed out by an injury that deemed him unable to play, now healthy, he has not returned to the starting lineup.  So even though his peers in Philadelphia, New York, and Cleveland provide some semblance of solace, a clear majority of people no longer trust Schaub to do his job well.

 

In Washington, once buoyed by the support of far more than party loyalists, the administration found the Obamacare rollout severely flawed and their leader, Pres. Obama, initially repeating promises that were untrue.  You cannot automatically keep your insurance if you like it, and you may not be able to keep your doctor or hospital either.  Once revered as the strong leader of the Democratic Party, Obama is finding himself instead the target of intensifying criticism.  In a new CNN/ORC International Survey, an unprecedented 53% of Americans now believe that Obama is not honest and trustworthy.  While the Intramuralist’s perspective is certainly limited (and also somewhat biased because I believe Obamacare to be unwise, massive policy), my sense is Obama is hoping to be mercifully bailed out by a website that finally works.  My sense is he would also like to be mercifully bailed out by a press that changes the subject.  Nonetheless, a clear majority of people, at least at this point, no longer trust Obama to do his job well.

 

At the North Pole (sorry), once alive and well in the imaginations of young children,  Santa Claus has found himself competing with the latest technology and fingertip information that threatens to pierce the reality of his fictional existence.  Once revered as the jolly old icon of the Christmas season, Santa is finding himself the target of intensifying disappointment, as he is clearly unable to meet all the desires and demands of each child — and as we live in a world continually drained by materialistic expectations.  Just last week, this semi-humble blogger only added to the growing disappointment, as when my young son asked to pause and take his picture with the bearded fellow at the local mall, I immediately dissuaded him.  “He charges money for that.”  To which my impressionable young son replied, “Why would Santa charge money?”  An arguable majority of children no longer trust Santa to do his job well.

 

What happens when our trust in our leaders erodes?  … when results fail to match expectations?  What happens when we no longer have faith in their performance? … and… or… who they are?

 

Granted, there’s far more to the NFL than the Texans quarterback, far more to Washington than the White House, and far more to Christmas than Santa Claus.

 

Come to think of it, Santa doesn’t have anything to do with faith.

 

Thank God.

 

Respectfully,

AR