As the Olympics wind down, I can honestly say I did not watch one second of the games. And I don't reget it one bit.

We lost last night, season is over. We just weren't good enough to overcome a free-throw discrepancy of 23-1, three missed layups, and quite a few costly turnovers. We were up most of the game, down only two with about a minute to go with the ball, but couldn't finish it. If someone would have told me at the beginning of the year that we'd go 19-3, I'd have called them crazy. While we feel we had a good year, that doesn't lessen the sting of ending too early.

Watched "The Constant Gardener" last night, fabulous movie! I know I'm biased toward a movie like this (since I could identify landmarks on the movie, having viewed them in person) but it ranks up there with "Crash" and "Hotel Rwanda" as top movies I've seen.

Now this is surreal. As I look back, it could have been much better written, I submitted it on a whim, I am totally humbled.
http://www.theooze.com/articles/list.cfm?cid=1

The Sports Guy had another epic article today. For those of you from WI, you'll remember htat Brian Butch won this award three years ago in the McDonald's game. Why do big white guys always stick out in games like this? Where's Paul Mokeski when we need him?

Yao Ming barely edged out Pau Gasol for the Jamaal Magloire Memorial"Worst guy on the floor who clearly didn't belong, even though his stats weren't bad" award.


"Murder by Numbers" was on AMC last night. Though I saw it in the theater's years ago, it was much better the second time around. Being the father of two daughters, one quote in paritcular stook out to me:
"You wouldn't believe what a girl with no father will do for attention."

I didn't want to talk about the cartoons and the Muslim response, but John Piper's words were just too appropriate (Ann Coulter's words were more humorous and Andrew Sullivan's more academic, Piper's more appropriate from a Christian perspective):

Being Mocked: The Essence of Christ’s Work, not Muhammad’s
February 8, 2006 — Fresh Words Edition
By John Piper

What we saw this past week in the Islamic demonstrations over the Danish cartoons of Muhammad was another vivid depiction of the difference between Muhammad and Christ, and what it means to follow each. Not all Muslims approve the violence. But a deep lesson remains: The work of Muhammad is based on being honored and the work of Christ is based on being insulted. This produces two very different reactions to mockery.

If Christ had not been insulted, there would be no salvation. This was his saving work: to be insulted and die to rescue sinners from the wrath of God. Already in the Psalms the path of mockery was promised: “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads” (Psalm 22:7). “He was despised and rejected by men . . . as one from whom men hide their faces . . . and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

When it actually happened it was worse than expected. “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. . . . And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spit on him” (Matthew 27:28-30). His response to all this was patient endurance. This was the work he came to do. “Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). This was not true of Muhammad. And Muslims do not believe it is true of Jesus. Most Muslims have been taught that Jesus was not crucified. One Sunni Muslim writes, “Muslims believe that Allah saved the Messiah from the ignominy of crucifixion.”1 Another adds, “We honor [Jesus] more than you [Christians] do. . . . We refuse to believe that God would permit him to suffer death on the cross.”2 An essential Muslim impulse is to avoid the “ignominy” of the cross.

That’s the most basic difference between Christ and Muhammad and between a Muslim and a follower of Christ. For Christ, enduring the mockery of the cross was the essence of his mission. And for a true follower of Christ enduring suffering patiently for the glory of Christ is the essence of obedience. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matthew 5:11). During his life on earth Jesus was called a bastard (John 8:41), a drunkard (Matthew 11:19), a blasphemer (Matthew 26:65), a devil (Matthew 10:25); and he promised his followers the same: “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household” (Matthew 10:25).

The caricature and mockery of Christ has continued to this day. Martin Scorsese portrayed Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ as wracked with doubt and beset with sexual lust. Andres Serrano was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to portray Jesus on a cross sunk in a bottle of urine. The Da Vinci Code portrays Jesus as a mere mortal who married and fathered children.

How should his followers respond? On the one hand, we are grieved and angered. On the other hand, we identify with Christ, and embrace his suffering, and rejoice in our afflictions, and say with the apostle Paul that vengeance belongs to the Lord, let us love our enemies and win them with the gospel. If Christ did his work by being insulted, we must do ours likewise.

When Muhammad was portrayed in twelve cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, the uproar across the Muslim world was intense and sometimes violent. Flags were burned, embassies were torched, and at least one Christian church was stoned. The cartoonists went into hiding in fear for their lives, like Salman Rushdie before them. What does this mean?

It means that a religion with no insulted Savior will not endure insults to win the scoffers. It means that this religion is destined to bear the impossible load of upholding the honor of one who did not die and rise again to make that possible. It means that Jesus Christ is still the only hope of peace with God and peace with man. And it means that his followers must be willing to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).

Footnotes1 Badru D. Kateregga and David W. Shenk, Islam and Christianity: A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue (Nairobi: Usima Press, 1980), p. 141. 2 Quoted from The Muslim World in J. Dudley Woodberry, editor, Muslims and Christians on the Emmaus Road (Monrovia, CA: MARC, 1989), p. 164.

I thought I had commented on Barry Bonds sometime last spring and his comments that he just wanted to get away from all of the media, etc. and live a normal life. He was talking about being depressed and that he was giving it all up. I couldn't find the archived blog, but I know I read about it. Now I find an article on Tracy McGrady this morning along the same lines. My thoughts are the same, not that the pain of whatever they are going through isn't real, but making $15 million dollars a year makes it easier to go through in my mind. You may disagree and call me hardhearted, but I find it harder to take pity on him or Bonds compared to a single mother with three kids whose father dies suddently. She has no time to plan emotionally or physically, she needs to travel across the country for the funeral, settle the estate, etc., but her kids are in school, her boss won't give her the time off, she has no money for the travel, etc. Now that is something that could lead to a depression, and I'm sure it's very common. Or even the single mother who just can't get ahead in life, hates her job, her kids are rebelling due to no father figure, etc. The same with the father who works 12 hours a day at a dead-end job but has no chance at moving up due to a lack of education, he continues to work to support his family. I'll take pity on these people, not T-Mac or Bonds who have maids, cooks, gardeners, etc. to help them through whatever tough times they are going through. And Barry, I'm sorry, the pressure of chasing Hank Aaron for the home run title is of no comparison to raising a child on your own or working day in and day out for peanuts to support your family. Finally, Tracy, your problems better be real if you are going to the media and making a big deal out of this.


This from the Sports Guy's Mailbag:
Q: I caught part of the fourth quarter of the Pro Bowl last night and noticed that STEVE MCNAIR was taking snaps for the AFC. Was Brooks Bollinger already booked at the Brick Tamland Celebrity Golf Tournament? Has there ever been a more meaningless sporting event than the Pro Bowl?-- Kevin, Kansas City
SG: No. Never. Even the Michael Douglas & Friends celebrity golf tournament is higher on the food chain than the Pro Bowl. They need to cancel it. Even my buddy Sal won't gamble on the Pro Bowl, and that's saying something.
More important, I was blown away by the McNair thing as well; it was one of the under-the-radar incredible moments in sports history. When I first saw him taking snaps, I thought the game had been rained out and they were showing a replay of the 1999 Pro Bowl. Then I realized the game was live, which made me wonder whether this was the first time that a QB who didn't start for a single fantasy team during an entire season started in the Pro Bowl. Then I spent the next two to three minutes in complete shock, which probably gave me something in common with his AFC teammates. Then I became disappointed that they didn't figure out a way to videotape McNair's reaction to the "Can you come to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl?" phone call, as he probably spent a good three days wondering whether he was being "Punk'd." And finally, the more I thought about it, the more I became furious that Keanu Reeves or James Van Der Beek didn't get the call. That's where I am now. Still smoldering. This could have been Keanu's one chance.

As with 99% of his stuff, it's just too true. I've got a friend who now is coaching for the Bears and played ten years in the league, making two Pro Bowls. He said the same thing, it seems that these guys get paid more if they win the game, he feels that they should split the money even and just do the skills games, play flag football, etc. for the game, it'd draw better and be just as meaningful.

SNOW DAY!

Slate had an interesting article today on why more and more people in Connecticut are foregoing marriage by the droves. One point caught me:
But it's also because there is a correlation between one's education level and one's openness to untraditional values, and so the highly educated may be more likely to see nothing morally wrong with shacking up in lieu of marriage.
I find this interesting, why is this? Why is there a direct relationship between education level and trashing of traditionaly or moral values? I for one almost think it would be the opposite, that the more educated, the more one would see the need for morals, we base our society on it, without it we have nothing but anarchy, the educated should understand that, I would think the uneducated would laugh at that. I must be missing something here.

Finally, I'm taking my last class in seminary right now and it has become the most elementary class I have taken. I'm reading the book "How to Read a Book" and listening to a lecture on academic commandments, including "you shall not miss class," you shall pay careful attention during the lecture period," "you shall persist in your education" and so on. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I would not be spending the money nor putting in the time I don't have nor have gotten to this point in my education without understanding that those things are important. Last week I had to listen to a two-hour lecture on syntopical reading, which is basically reading a bunch of books in the same area and then making conclusions based on them. Come on, that's all I've done for the past three years! Had I not been able to do that, I wouldn't be here now. So I wrote my prof an email this morning explaining why I have become so apathetic in the class, I hope he takes it the right way, I made sure Lisa read it before I sent it out to be sure it wasn't too terse. I've including the text below:

Good Morning Mr...,

We have a wonderful thing here in WI occassionally called "snow days." Today is one of those, we are expected almost a foot of snow, so no school for me. It's nice, but I was hoping for one tomorrow instead, but beggars can't be choosers.

Having said that, I have the time and thought it appropriate to respond to your appropriate comments on my answers from last week's assignment. I want to say that I agree with the comments you have made, and I did want to take some time to explain myself.

First, I understand that this is both a gradute and undergraduate class, but I have found much of the... lectures and... reading more appropriate for the undergrad level. For instance, right now I am listening to... lecture on "Academic Commandments." While no doubt very true in what he is saying, this is much more pertinent to a first year college student. For the stage I am at, having a BA and this being my last class before earning my MA, I would no doubt have loved to have a class like this my freshman year in college. But again, I could not have gotten to this point in my education without utilizing the principles... are discussing.

Second, having said that, this has led in some ways to an apathetic attitude for me in this class. I don't like that, but it has been the reality. I found this specifically in last week's questions, for instance the first question, the costs and benefits of putting in the bare minimum versus going all out in a class are obvious, I find a hard time expanding on a question as such. Having looked at this week's questions as well, I know that for number one, a question of what I could do to become a more active learner, I know exactly what I need to do, and I'll answer accordingly. Again, I'll find it hard to expand more than what the question has asked.

Finally, as I have stated, I thought your comments on my work has been appropriate, I simply thought it right to let you know where I am coming from and where I stood at this time. I am looking forward to some of the later lecture and discussions, and I realize that we have to set the table for that.

Thank you for your time.

Been sitting on a few things for a while:

First, from today's Quickie:
Joey Cheek is my hero: After nabbing gold for the U.S. in 500m speedskating, Cheek started his press conference saying he'd donate his $25,000Olympic prize money to the kids in Darfur and asked his sponsors to matchhis generosity. Now that's the Olympic spirit. Can I get an AMEN?

Next, two quotes from Curt Shilling in his e-comm with the Sports Guy:
1) "Somebody on this team wants me to get booed to make them feel better, andthat really bothers me a lot." I love how he stated that, because it's so true. So many times we want others to fail so that we look better. Sad but true.

2) "...but the most exciting part of the end of my career is the thought of beinga dad, of trying to pay back my family in some way for the huge sacrificesthey have made to allow me to do this. From February to October everyyear, my family loses a member. The long hours at the park, the enormousamounts of travel, contrary to what some think, the enormous salariesdon't make that OK. The money won't buy back that time with my wife andkids, and for that I owe them. I can't wait to be a dad." The funny thing is, I believe him.

Finally, a quote about good coaches:
"It just seems like the smarter coaches figure out their five best players,play them as much as possible, spell them when they get tired with benchguys, then make sure those same five guys are playing the last 7-8 minutesof the game." Forgive me if you are not a hoops fan, but I've always said that basketball is the hardest sport to play and coach for one reason, the change from offense to defense is instantaneous and if you can't play one of the other, you'll have a hard time seeing the court. Coaching it is no different. Every player has to be on the same page or you will not succeed, no question about it, and it is your job to make sure that the lineup is proper for the situation. I'm sure there are other sports where this is the case, but I can't think of one that brings it to this extent. Throw me some examples if you disagree.

Oh, I almost forgot...with tha previous post, one thing that continues to strike me is the natural instinct of children to gravitate and desire relationship with their parents no matter what. I have children who have been and are abused and mistreated from their parents just horribly, yet will not speak a bad word against them. There's something to that, something created in us that desires that relationship, just like I tell my students that even though their parents may not show it, it is natural for parents and love their children unconditionally, the problem is that their parents are so screwed up that they can't put things in perspective (not my exact words). Once they get back on the right track, they figure it out, figure out what they always desired, to love their children. They also think that they have fallen so far that there is no hope, and nothing could be further from the truth. It's just too bad so many don't figure it out until its too late, or pride keeps them from it.

I've mentioned a lot of things that move me in this space over the past two years, and I've probably said this before, but I have always had a heart for abused children. Maybe it's because I work with so many who show the effects thereof, maybe it's just something that the Lord has made me sensitive to, I don't know, but when I read the paper or watch children being mistreated in public or hear the stories of my children, I get a major pit in my stomach.

I say this because right now I am snuggling on the couch with my daughter eating popcorn in our "movie theatre" (her term for when we watch a movie with the lights down). While drinking some juice, she spilt a little and felt bad, I told her it was no big deal, we'd clean it up (it was literally just a few drops). As that happened, I had the vision of stories I've read where this same type of thing happens and the child gets hit, told how stupid they are for spilling, how they need to grow up, go to their room, etc. It's only juice! I always want my daughters to know how much I love them no matter what, that my love supercedes and transcends anything they do, that it is unconditional, nothing will take it away. Again, I don't know why the Lord has made me so sensitive to this but I'm glad He has so I can be sure to love my children and family appropriately.

I hate it when I have a lot to say but no time to write. I've been reading two cool books, "Searching for God Knows What" by Donald Miller and "Urban Tribes" by I don't know who, but they make some great points I want to elaborate on at some time in the next week or two.

This morning at church after the sermon a guy got up with a banjo and starting singing "Amazing Grace." He has a real southern twang to him and really stirs up a spirit of worship in me. Anyway, as I sang and looked around, I was totally broken by the humble hearts singins praises to the Lord. I don't know who they are, where they're from, what their background is, whether they are following the Lord or not, I don't care. All I know is that for that song, their hearts were calling out to God, thanking Him for saving them from their sins and asking Him to be more a part of their lives. It really touched me.

And what it reminded me of at the time was the part from "The Color Purple" when Shug Avery is at the bar while her father is preaching in church. Shug and the people hear the singing from the church and stop their playing and dancing. Shug begins singing the same song, "God's Trying to Tell you Something," and leads the people on the path to the church where they continue their singing. Shug goes forward and embraces her father and says, "See daddy, singers have soul too," while a tear goes down his face. I can't put into words what God needed to tell the pastor, but the movie makes it clear. The next frame shows Danny Glover, the abusive husband, at the office of Naturalization and Immigration bringins Celie's children back from what is assumed to be Africa. An act of grace...then we have Celie's children joining with her...remarkable movie, brings tears to my eyes.

Why the sudden outburst of blogs, you ask? I've been in an airport quite a bit this weekend on the way to St. Louis and back. My flight got delayed yesterday so I spent an extra two hours here, not much else to do but log in and post.

Why do people complain about the price of airport food? 7 dollars?!!!!!! Yes, my friend, seven dollars for that bagel and coke, get used to it or eat before. Then they yell at the foreign lady behind the counter making minimum wage. Makes me want to reach out and choke them.

Spend ten hours yesterday and five today in a room with three former NFL players (one being Lou Brock's son) and this dude who knows his stuff in the business world. Talk about feeling incompetent! A lot of listening and little talking. Quite an experience, learning experience, hopefully some good things come out of it. My place there was teaching teachers and doing overseas work, that's my passion, if it works where I can do that full time, all the better.

A few noteworthy quotes:

Larry Crabb (The Pressure’s Off) rebukes the crass happiness syndrome of modern evangelicalism by writing: “I have no strategies in mind to give you a better marriage, better kids, a more complete recovery from sexual abuse, or quicker healing after your divorce…. Nor, I believe, does God.”

George Barna recently reported that over the last decade, as a percentage of the population, there was a zero gain in the number of Christians in America, despite the fact that $500 billion was spent on domestic ministry in that same period. For all our buildings, programs, and outreach, we have zero net gain! This sobers us, but it also awakens our resolve to find real answers.

Check out the following link regarding personal savings, I didn't know that savings could actually be a negative number:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0601310156jan31,1,6429103.story?coll=chi-business-hed

I've been very critical and skeptical of Bono in this space in the past, but in his National Day of Prayer speech recently, he preached some truth:

God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them. "If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom with become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places...

Because there's no way we can look at what's happening in Africa and, if we're honest, conclude that deep down, we really accept that Africans are equal to us. Anywhere else in the world, we wouldn't accept it. Look at what happened in South East Asia with the tsunami. 150,000 lives lost to that misnomer of all misnomers, "mother nature." In Africa, 150,000 lives are lost every month. A tsunami every month. And it's a completely avoidable catastrophe.

A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord's blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it?. I have a family, please look after them?. I have this crazy idea...
And this wise man said: stop.
He said, stop asking God to bless what you're doing.
Get involved in what God is doing - because it's already blessed.
Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing.
And that is what he's calling us to do.

Along these same lines, last night I was reading Lev. and it struck me how in 21:16-23 God lays out that "no man who has a defect may come near...no many who is bling or lame...no man who is crippled...hunchbacked...he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar..." and so on and so on. What struck me was how all of this changed with Jesus. These were the very people that Jesus went to, these are the very people who now have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. The curtain has been torn, all are welcome. I think what Bono is saying above and what I still see too often is that the affluent are viewed as having been "blessed by God" and it's not necessarily wrong to thank God for the blessings He has given us, but we view blessings only in light of monetary wealth, nothing more. How shallow of us! I agree with Bono, God is with the poor, He is in the slums with them, caring for their children, taking care of them, extending them His grace, and promising them a place in His eternal Kingdom. We'd all be better off to reflect on this and then as fellow blogger edluv suggest, actually be our worldview for once.