{"id":2882,"date":"2014-02-13T06:21:14","date_gmt":"2014-02-13T11:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=2882"},"modified":"2014-02-13T06:32:51","modified_gmt":"2014-02-13T11:32:51","slug":"redemption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=2882","title":{"rendered":"redemption"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"76467_160844633957818_100000968467983_288157_6512369_n\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see if we can somehow make these two fit together… headlines from this week\u2019s New York Post and Kansas City Star, respectively:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Catastrophic\u2019 winter storm threatens\u00a0Atlanta\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cApologies go all around in Marcus Smart-Texas Tech fan incident\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Weather and sports.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s amazing how life all fits together.\u00a0 We could also add politics, if 2014 found Mark Sanford, Eliot Spitzer, or Anthony Weiner running once more.<\/p>\n

In each of the above, there is an underlying theme.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

First in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

As previously noted here, 2.6\u201d of snow fell suddenly upon the otherwise identified \u201cHotlanta\u201d 2 weeks ago. \u00a0It was the day the Big Peach actually stood still.\u00a0 Cars and kids and trucks and teachers were stuck in their tracks.\u00a0 Transportation and communication systems were frustratingly jammed.\u00a0 Without a doubt, errors in decision-making, blame, and apologies overflowed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then in Lubbock, Texas.<\/p>\n

Marcus Smart is considered one of the best college basketball players in the country.\u00a0 There is talk of him potentially being pick #1 in the NBA draft.\u00a0 After an opposing fan said something crass on Saturday, Smart went into the stands and shoved the fan.\u00a0 Without a doubt, errors in decision-making, blame, and apologies overflowed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What strikes me now, no less, is the obvious opportunity for each for redemption.\u00a0 It snowed in Atlanta again yesterday.\u00a0 Marcus Smart will return from his suspension on the 22nd.\u00a0 Both the leaders in Atlanta and college student Smart are eager to do things differently and better.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not how I conduct myself… It\u2019s something I\u2019ll have to learn from… I\u2019m taking full responsibility,\u201d<\/i> said Smart in his seemingly genuine apology.\u00a0 Redemption is the opportunity to show that it\u2019s really not<\/i> how one conducts themselves.\u00a0 Redemption means to atone for a fault or mistake \u2014 to be delivered into a better state.\u00a0 There is no doubt that Smart and all the government and school officials in Georgia are eager to demonstrate that they are<\/i> responsible; they have learned<\/i> from their poor decision-making; and they can thus atone<\/i> for their mistakes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I think what actually strikes me most is how attracted we are to redemption.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost as if we crave it.\u00a0 There\u2019s something within us that knows we need it.<\/p>\n

I think the contrast is equally true; it is highly unattractive when people and especially politicians do not<\/i> know they need it \u2014 when they do not recognize their need for redemption.\u00a0 It seems to this current events observer that arrogance obstructs their awareness of the individual need for atonement.\u00a0 And as said here multiple times previously, arrogance is never attractive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Think still on Smart\u2019s profound words:\u00a0 \u201cthis is not how I conduct myself.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 The reality is that it\u2019s not how Smart typically<\/i> conducts himself.\u00a0 It may also not be the manner in which the man he shoved typically<\/i> conducts himself.\u00a0 What I do know, however, is that even if it\u2019s not our typical manner \u2014 for Smart, for all the officials in Atlanta, for any politician or person, for that matter \u2014 we are each capable<\/i> of errors in decision-making.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s typical matters less than if we are capable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And if we are capable, then each of us is in need of redemption.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Respectfully,<\/p>\n

AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s see if we can somehow make these two fit together… headlines from this week\u2019s New York Post and Kansas City Star, respectively:   \u201c\u2018Catastrophic\u2019 winter storm threatens\u00a0Atlanta\u201d \u201cApologies go all around in Marcus Smart-Texas Tech fan incident\u201d   Weather and sports. It\u2019s amazing how life all fits together.\u00a0 We could also add politics, if … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “redemption”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,8],"tags":[384,386],"class_list":["post-2882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-event","category-current-issue","tag-atlanta-snow","tag-marcus-smart-apology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2882"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2887,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882\/revisions\/2887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}