The Real Winner Didn't Come in First

Sometimes the biggest sports stories are overshadowed. It's October and that means college football, the NFL and the World Series. Easy to miss lesser sports, but despite intoxicating coverage of bigger sports an incredible act of sportsmanship and character poked through the sunny skies of Hawaii earlier this month.

The Ironman Triathlon is held each year in Kona, Hawaii. These amazing men and women swim (2.4 miles) in the Pacific, then bike (112 miles) and finish the competition with a 26.2 mile run. Britain's Chrissie Wellington won her 2nd consecutive title in the women's competition this year. But the real story is about fellow competitor, Rebekah Keat (pictured). Wellington probably wouldn't have won without the heroic and generous act of the 31-year old Australian.

On the 112 mile bike leg, Wellington was five minutes out in front of her closest competitor when she had a flat tire. Reaching for her emergency can of air she discovered the canister was empty. As competitors came racing by Wellington was soon five, then ten minutes behind the rest of the field. Keat stopped and gave Wellington her air canister. It didn't take long for the British star to get back in the race. It didn't take long for the repeat champ to blow by the field in the marathon. She crossed the finish line in 9 hours, 6 minutes and 23 seconds. She got the trophy but the real winner in this race was Rebekah Keat who finished 6th overall. Wellington noted that Keat was a "legend" and that her act of care "epitomises everything about the Ironman."

Jesus commended the charity of the least likely of helpers in Luke's gospel when he told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Remember, the priest and the rabbi (the one's His audience expected to render aid) passed by the victim, leaving the "unclean" Samaritan to help the man in need. And the rest is history, the Samaritan became "Good" and through Jesus redefined the Jewish definition of "neighbor". Pointing to the Samaritan's example, Jesus said, "You go, and do likewise."

People train all year for the Ironman competition. This is a solo sport. Don't think for a minute these athletes think about giving anything up to the competition. That's what makes Rebekah Keat's act of charity all the more extraordinary. We would do well to follow her example and help those around us who are in need. Call it "pay it forward", random acts of kindness, charity gone wild, or whatever you want, I can't help but think Jesus was smiling as Keat passed her air canister to the reigning Ironman champ and her fellow competitor. I'll bet He even whispered from heaven to the prima dona, self-centered, high drama athletes that get too much coverage and to us: "You go and do likewise."

"And a Little Child Shall Lead Them"

A friend recently sent me this video of a 12-year old, Canadian girl who was invited to speak before a United Nations Conference. It needs no commentary. Watch this video and be challenged to be a force for change. May we have the same level of courage as this child. Future generations are depending upon us to act now!

A Disturbing American Statistic: I Repent!

The United States is among the leading nations in one disturbing global statistic. Per the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), "Only two of 30 nations {Mexico and Turkey}, are ahead of the United States for income inequality and poverty rates, or the gap between rich and poor, according to a report released Tuesday.
According to the report the average income of the richest 10% of people in the U.S. is $93,000. The average for the other OECD nations was $54,000. You can read that and reason that by improving the upper income figures you increase the figures for those on the lowest part of the scale. It sure sounds good, but it's just NOT TRUE!

Continue reading the report and you'll learn: "The poorest 10 percent of Americans have an income of $5,800 per year, compared to the OECD average of $7,000. In addition, the richest 10 percent hold 71 percent of American's net worth and 28 percent of total income, leaving 90 percent of the population to split the remaining 72 percent of the nation's income. While income inequality grew worse in the U.S., it decreased in France over the past 20 years...." By the way, the U.S. wasn't piled in with a bunch of underdeveloped countries which would automatically make us look bad because of the difference in the quality of life here and the Third World.

And now the bottomline: "The OECD report found that economic growth of recent decades benefited the rich more than the poor and in Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway and the United States, the gap also increased between the rich and the middle-class."

Newsflash: If you are not a Christ-follower don't read anymore. Human decency aside, the biblical and heavenly mandate to care and help the less fortunate does not apply to you. You actually have bigger issues to settle, like the claims of Jesus Christ. However, those of us who claim all the benefits of a relationship with Jesus Christ and His church need to pony up.

Did you know both presidential candidates earned way, way more than the $93,000 average last year? If you factor in their spouses (one of them filed separately) both still earned over $4,000,000 last year. Don't get partisan here and rationalize on behalf of your candidate. Be honest with me. It's difficult for someone in the $93,000+ club to relate to the middle class, let alone those in the $5,800 per year club. Please don't tell me that by earning more you are able to give more thereby expanding the lower tier. The facts of the OECD report state otherwise. And one of the presidential running mates reported a joint income with their spouse in 2007 over $300,000 but only averaged $360.00+ in annual charitable giving! Yeah that's $360 dollars, not thousand. And they want us to sacrifice? Keep in mind as of June, over $200 million had been spent on presidential TV ads! Who knows what the total amount spent on this year's presidential election will be? The amount spent on the 2000 presidential election was $607 million. Divide the ridiculous $607 million election budget of 2000 by the lowly $5,800 poverty wage cited above and you can give 104,655 of the people in the lower tier a 100% raise. Amazing what financial stewardship and responsibility could do if we actually practiced it! Let's not even get into the area of pork barrel earmarks for ridiculous things like subsidies for wooden toy arrow manufacturers.

Sadly, many Democrats and Republicans reading this are more concerned about making strikes against the other side than they are in taking the disturbing facts of this report to heart. Let's call a truce on trying to one up each other on who has helped more, or cares more for the less fortunate. No one ever wins the compassion battle. If they did we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Can we be honest? The majority of us who have been blessed with a job to provide a steady income, a home, retirement, health care (regardless of how small those two may be at this point), transportation, clothes, food and various possessions need to repent. I need to repent. Not only do we need to repent, but we need to do something about it. Many of us have taken advantage of God's grace and live in arrogance of our called responsibility to help the hurting, broken and wounded (See James 1:27; Matthew 25:35; Luke 10:25-37;12:13-21; 16:19-31; 18:29 for starters).

We rationalize by saying we give to the church, support local school fundraisers, the volunteer fire department, Lions Club, and donate food to local pantries, or items to Good Will. But, how many of us have adopted a family, single parent, or a child in terms of helping to provide the basics of life for an extended period? How many of us have actually served meals (or prepared) to the homeless beyond the obligatory, feel-good minimum, one a month, or occasional fast food provision? How many of us have actually given a strong percentage of our income to (a church, food bank, relief agency, etc.) something greater than ourselves in hopes of improving the quality of life both in the U.S. and the world? How many of us have volunteered to help people learn to speak, write and read English so they can get jobs? How many of us purchase locally grown produce and really seek to support local farmers and make purchases from local businesses that might even be a little higher than the big box stores, but contribute directly to the local economy? You get the idea.

We are going to see more hold up's, armed robberies, home invasions, break-ins, stealing from stores, and acts of desperation to provide the basics of life as the gap increases between the have's and the have not's. And no, I'm not excusing any crimes or activity that breaks the law, only the economic policies and self-absorbed lifestyles that encourage them. Those of us who have been blessed must live grateful lives. If you feel you are already living that way then kudos and applause! But for those of who are praying through all of this and considering our biblical responsibility the words of Jesus in Luke 12:48 are still piercing: From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. I repent of anything I've done by my lifestyle, words, financial decisions, purchases, work, and attitude that have pushed anyone to that lower 10% tier. May God help me, and all of us to help raise that level significantly. And may our individual pursuits of life, liberty and happiness not be at the expense of the less fortunate (Amos 2 and 5).

America Needs More Than Obama or McCain

Let's pretend you've been in space for the last 24 months and you just returned to earth, to be more specific the United States. You turn on the television, or log onto the Internet to catch up. If you listen to the political talking-heads (media pundits, campaign spokespersons and political analysts) the presidential election is about the redemption or salvation of America. One side sees it as an opportunity to change (gotta love the way both sides have abused that word) the direction of the country and rescue it from impotent leadership and stale policies. The other sees it as an opportunity to maintain the military security and strength of the country, while seeking less government intrusion. While the two sides share some ideas and opinions, they are far apart in ideology. By now the die-hard supporters in each camp are saying I've oversimplified very complicated issues and differences. Die-hard's be careful both candidates seem to be having a little trouble with the facts. There's a whole independent, non-partisan, non-profit website dedicated to clearing the confusion BOTH candidates seem to be having with various facts in regard to policies, proposals, and examples : Factcheck.org

My point in this post is not to endorse a candidate. Sorry to disappoint those on the right or left. That's an informed decision (and prayerful one if you are a Christ-follower) you've got to make for yourself. My role as a minister is to share the Gospel, not tell people how to vote, or to make you feel less godly because of your presidential choice. I know there are plenty of other ministers who are, and will gladly do this for me.

Put both candidates aside for a moment. Heck, put both political parties aside. If you are a Christ-follower honestly answer one question for me. Do you really, in all seriousness believe the redemption and salvation of our nation lies in the hands of either candidate or party? While I still occupy some rental space in this earth suit of mine, I do not believe for one minute that my salvation, redemption, hope and future lie in either party or candidate. They are mere mortals, who are as deeply flawed as the rest of us. Study history, specifically revival history and you quickly learn that God transcends political parties and is more interested in people turning their hearts toward Him, repenting, and trying to order their lives around His Word. Party affiliation, candidate choice, skin color, education, and socioeconomic status don't even play a part in this. Those are anthropomorphic characteristics that may play well in a political stump speech, but God looks way beyond them and goes straight for the heart, motive, character and attitude.

In 1904, a 20-something, pre-ministerial student was challenged during a campus revival and moved to pray a simple prayer, "O God bend me." God used that simple, four-word prayer uttered by Evan Roberts to fan the flames of the well known Welsh Revival. It's impact on the culture is well documented. Crime dropped, alcohol-substance abuse was lowered, pubs lost business, and the gods of sport (soccer and football) saw a dramatic drop in attendance because people were more interested in gathering with other Christ-followers to worship and learn more about God's Word. Think about that last one in light of the prices we pay for our favorite college or pro team and the hours we invest as fans! Over a two-year period thousands came to Christ and sought to conform their lifestyle to His image (Ephesians 2:5-10 and Galatians 2:15-20). Lives and a culture were changed for the better because God's people got on their knees and cried out to God. If Christ-followers residing in the United States long and yearn for change we would do well to pray the prayer of Evan Roberts.

I know this is not a popular statement, but we are NOT a Christian nation. We are a secular, republic whose forefathers fled the tyranny of state imposed religion. A Christian nation is one that seeks to order its government and affairs around the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. While America invokes the name of God, we do not invoke the name of Christ in regard to our founding documents (Constitution; Bill of Rights, etc.), nor do we seek to employ His most difficult teachings (e.g., "If your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head."). The Christian nation was established by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ long before the red, white and blue, much of the known world today even existed. It is a global nation filled with color and many different languages. It's power and authority does not reside within a geographic border, document or government building, but with a Savior. Its presence resides within the hearts of those who profess and follow Christ.

I love my country and I want God's best for her, but professing Christ-followers better quit seeking our salvation, and hope in the human leaders of a secular republic. We had better get on our knees, confess all known sin, repent of our sins, seek to order our lives around Christ and the Word of God and join Him where He is working. Yes we need to be informed voters, but if we want meaningful change in our country and communities, then we (Christ-followers) are going to have to begin with ourselves and our respective churches. A country is simply a reflection of the hearts of her people. Right now that's not very pretty because it seems to be a portrait that's more self-consumed and affluence-obsessed than ever before. Call me negative, call me cynical, but I challenge anyone to read the words of Christ and look at our government and tell me we are even remotely close to emulating His teachings and life model. We're not and we should not. That's the role of the church, the bride of Christ. It's high time the church accepted her role and we got on our knees and joined Evan Roberts' prayer, "Oh Lord, Bend Me!" Our churches, communities, nation and world desperately need it.

Thankful Still

Seemed like the right time to be reminded of some things beyond our control.

Politikin' Pastors

A group of pastors supporting the Alliance Defense Fund's (a conservative legal group) "pulpit initiative" defied IRS regulations Sunday and endorsed presidential candidates from the pulpit. According to the Associated Press story, 33 pastors in 22 states made specific endorsements of presidential candidates from the pulpit Sunday in an effort to force an IRS investigation in hopes of challenging the ruling in the courts.
The group says this is a First Amendment issue and not an endorsement issue. Pastor Jody Hice of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bethlehem, Ga., was quoted in the AP story as saying, "To say the church can't deal with moral and societal issues if it enters into the political arena is just wrong, it's unconstitutional." The AP story continues:

At the independent Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, Okla., pastor Paul Blair said he told his congregation, "As a Christian and as an American citizen, I will be voting for John McCain."

"It's absolutely vital to proclaim the truth and not be afraid to proclaim the truth from our pulpits," Blair said in an interview.

Because the pastors were speaking in their official capacity as clergy, the sermons are clear violations of IRS rules, said Robert Tuttle, a professor of law and religion at George Washington University. But even if the IRS rises to the bait and a legal fight ensues, Tuttle said there's "virtually no chance" courts will strike down the prohibition.

This is dangerous territory. I couldn't disagree more with these pastors. To stand behind the First Amendment reduces the church to the limitations of a human created document of one nation (the U.S. Constitution). I would argue that the Gospel and Christ's church transcends nations and national documents. The guiding and framing document for Christian clergy in any country should be the Bible. And the Bible is not a political document. Yes, it speaks to politics, morals, and life issues, but at its core it is a book of salvation. It is a book of faith. It's the story of God passionately pursuing humanity through a number of means (Law, judges, prophets, kings, etc.) and ultimately through His Son, Jesus Christ who came to save us from that which we cannot save ourselves, sin.

As far as national and historic documents go, the U.S. Constitution is a dandy. While it's not perfect, it works. But to surrender the defense of our faith (apologetics) to the Constitution is not very wise. I can hear the "endorsement preacher crowd" calling me a heretic, or liberal about now, but they would do wise to spend more time living out and preaching the gospel than making sure everyone in their respective church pews votes for the candidate they like. This is a poor theology of preaching, and at its worse, flat out spiritual manipulation. I'd rather teach and preach the Gospel as best I can, and let the Christ-followers in my church attempt to submit their lives and decisions to the authority of God through Scripture, prayer and the leadership of the Holy Spirit than to rely on me to tell them how to vote, or think. After all, they are ultimately accountable to God, not their pastor!

Undoubtedly a few of these politically charged pastors will compare their pulpit candidate endorsement to the Old Testament prophet's warnings to the people of Israel about certain disobedient kings or national leaders. That's a huge leap considering the Old Testament examples are in regard to "spiritual" Israel not a secular/civil republic that was not even on the radar during the time of the biblical narrative. Let's be honest, we are not a spiritual state or country. In other words, our government is secular, not religious. Remember, our forefathers set it up that way on purpose to prevent the church, or her clergy from telling them what they could or could not do as a country. See any parallels?

This is not to say that I'm not in agreement, or sympathetic with some of their recommendations in regard to political candidates. However, I am not called to tell people how to vote, but I am called to share and live out the Gospel. Hopefully, through the way I teach and help them experience and learn God's word, they will make prayerful, informed and Christ-led decisions in the voting booth. They will engage their heart, soul and mind with an informed faith. I guess it really comes down to trusting your preaching-teaching, the people in the pew, and ultimately God!

P.S. It's high time American conservative Christians quit casting fellow Christ-followers who happen to be members of an opposing earthly political party as not being Christian! That is very dangerous ground upon which to tread because it means that you have the ability to know someones heart, motive and will. In other words, it means they have put themselves in position or place the Bible says is exclusively reserved for God.

The Federal Bailout, Financial Security and Faith

AIG, Lehman Bros., Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, IndyMac, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch are just a few of the big financial names to go down on Wall Street. Some have been rescued by large banks or brokered deals between other financial giants to keep them afloat and many are sitting on pins as they await the fate of a controversial $700 billion proposed Federal buyout. The Congress is not on the same page in regard to the proposal. Members within the same political party aren't even in agreement about the bailout. In South Carolina both Republican senators are split on the proposal. Senator DeMint is opposed to the idea and Senator Graham is for it. It's hard to believe that bad mortgage debt is responsible for most of this financial crisis. A good friend is a seasoned CPA and while he doesn't like the bailout proposal, he thinks it's unavoidable. Today's editorial in the Greenville News was more like a half-hearted endorsement given the lack of a credible alternative.

I'm not a financial expert. I'm just an average person and many people like myself do not understand such complicated matters. You see, if we don't pay our bills, or we default on our loans we are responsible and no one is going to rescue us. There are consequences for our actions. In serious situations a judge will outline a payback plan and possibly give us some jail time. The question of personal responsibility and accountability for bad loans, poor financial restraint and a total lack of institutional control seems to be of little concern until the who, what, how much and when of the bailout is settled. Isn't that kind of like rewarding a teenager convicted of DUI with a brand new car? How will he ever learn to be responsible?

Giving the fund managers, loan officers and traders who contributed to this mess a pile of federal money to rescue their companies and save the economy seems absurd. Oh sure a few heads at the top will roll and be dismissed, but no one believes this giant mess was created by a handful of Wall Street top bosses on their own. So after we have the ceremonial and obligatory punishment of the tailored suit, yacht-riding crowd (and yes they need to answer for it), who do you think is going to be hired to help resuccitate these failed financial giants? ---The very financial wizards in the trenches and on the floor whose unbridled greed contributed to this mess. And let's be honest. Not every mortgage exec or loan officer is greedy and irresponsible. In fact, most of them care about their clients and abide by federal law, policies and procedures.

Long ago in a seminary leadership class my professor cited a leadership guru who said, "Managers focus on doing things right. Leaders focus on doing the right thing." Whatever the Wall Street and Washington officials decide is going to be painful for all of us. However, sometimes doing the"greater good" sacrifices things like morality, responsibility, and consequences. I sure hope succeeding generations don't follow their lead if ethics are sacrificed on the altar of financial rescue.

My 401 retirement plan is lower than what many of these wealthy execs spend in a week to maintain their private jets, yachts and homes in the Hamptons, or on Martha's Vineyard. However, if doing the right thing means my retirement fund may take a major hit so ethical business standards can be upheld, so be it. I'd rather have my future grandchildren go without an ice cream cone or two from their grandfather and be able to look back on this place in time and see a shining example of ethics bathed in corporate and personal responsibility.

Today I'm just grateful that my personal security is not found in investments, retirement funds, stocks, real estate, gold or gas futures. My security is found solely in Jesus Christ. Yes we all need to save, spend less and prepare for the future. But we need to live life now. My goal (Philippians 3:7-12) and joy in life is not dependent upon circumstances, even economic ones. And joy does not mean the absence of pain, disappointment, loss, or heartache. However, my joy, hope and future are rooted in the person of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:1-4). I'm with the Apostle Paul who said that any pain or trouble in this world (even economic loss) pales in comparison to what those who profess Christ now will receive (Romans 8:18). One day this stuff is going to matter to those who've put all their faith and energy into earthly investments. One day they will learn (way too late I fear) that life is about so much more than our personal assets. Reminds me of the line from a George Strait song, "I've never seen a hearse with a luggage rack." I really do enjoy living, but my ultimate home is not of this world and I can cry in confidence with the last human words uttered to God in Scripture: "Come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20)