Contrast

I came across a beautiful truth as I was reading a book on grammar by Richard Young for my Greek class. I want to say it was a riveting read but it was pretty technical and I found myself rereading pages just to fully grasp the minute details. There was, however, one passage in a chapter on sentence structure that surprisingly stirred me. The passage was explaining the idea of “prominence” as the “state of standing out from the surroundings so as to be easily noticed.”

What caught my eye the most was the statement: “If all parts of a discourse are equally prominent, total unintelligibility results. The result is like being presented with a piece of black paper and being told, ‘This is a picture of black camels crossing black sands at midnight.’” So in essence, “We can only perceive something if it stands out from its background.”

I have thought often about this idea of contrast and how it is through contrast that we are able to perceive many truths. The main contrast that this brings to mind is that of good and evil. This is by no means an essay on why evil exists but rather a mere reflection on its existence in light of the existence of good.

In this world every human being has an idea of good and evil. Like the range of colors with its varying degrees of intensity, so it is with a range from good to evil. Some things can be viewed even as morally neutral or indifferent. There is an idea present in all of us of the two extremes from good to evil. We see figures in history like Hitler as the epitome of evil and Mother Teresa as the epitome of good.

I could totally be wrong about this, but we have a clearer idea of what is good because we have the contrast of evil. Evil makes good prominent. The good stands out from the bad like a candle that lights up a dark room.

Though contrast helps reveal what is prominent, the contrast only helps us to see the reality. The contrast does not make it the reality. A candle in a well-lit room won’t be as prominent as in a dark room but it burns regardless. In the same way, God’s goodness doesn’t depend on the contrast because it is true in and of itself. But when we rightly reflect on our own sinful nature, and the evil that is in the world, the thing most prominent is God’s goodness and holiness.

It is easy to compare good with evil and to see that great divide. But how I believe all should see it, the most glorious contrast is God to everything else. Even the best thing in this world would fail to compare to His glory. In all things God is not only prominent but he is also preeminent. This is the beautiful contrast.

Though it is right and good to recognize how God is contrasted with the world, let our lives correspond to that knowledge, being salt and light, living for Jesus Christ who has transformed and is transforming us into His image. My prayer is that others can see the contrast of those who believe in the Resurrection and the rest of the world, all to the Glory of His Name.

Greatness

I read an interesting article by Jeff Pearlman today concerning the recent plight of Roger Clemens. He writes,

No, the vanity is what, one must think, brought Clemens to this dreaded point in his life; the belief that throwing a baseball -- a random act somehow deemed valuable by our society -- is important and powerful and worthy of great riches and praise and status.”

It is interesting because in our society, in our culture, in our nature there is something very troubling, though very subtle, about how we idolize athletes. I grew up playing sports, loving sports, and even loving to hate the rival teams. Riding the emotional roller coaster it became addictive. But when I was overseas and no one there knew anything about my favorite basketball team, let alone how many national championships they had, and before I knew it, the identity connected with a certain team, sport, athlete, came obsolete. For this I am grateful for it freed me.

We praise athletes for being able to run fast, throw hard, jump high, without giving much value to what is truly valuable in life. We pack stadiums to watch college kids run back forth on a field to the point that sports have become our identity.

I don’t know Roger Clemens personally so I cannot judge if he is proud or not. I know that he has been a phenomenal athlete throughout his brilliant career. My mom and I used to look forward to watching him play and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing about his work ethic. It was most impressive the longevity of his career. I must admit that I admired him for his athletic ability the same way I admired Michael Jordan in his “greatness” on the basketball court.

I don’t think it is wrong to appreciate a competitor like Clemens or Jordan, like I don’t think it is wrong to appreciate a brilliant musician. But I don’t know these men personally, and I wonder if I don’t give the credit due to the men and women in my life that are excellent in being good husbands and wives, in being good at their jobs day in and day out without praise.

How does one define greatness? Is it how well someone can play a particular sport? Or does greatness take on different characteristics?

If I had to truly weigh what is important in life I would come to the conclusion that the men and women I do know who love the Lord and live for Him faithfully have earned my respect infinitely far more than a man who throws an incredible fastball, whom I don’t even know.

Maybe greatness lies in the one who is a servant. The one who loves their enemies. The one who chooses to humble themselves so others can take the seat of honor.

I believe that I read that somewhere. I also believe that it is right and true.

Christianity and the Art of Moped Maintenance

Susan and I spent the summer in Wynne, Arkansas. Never growing up did I sit back and imagine myself having the best time in Arkansas. I grew up in Alabama and it is just best to go East from there. Little did I know that while I was imagining being in romantic places (maybe only romantic for us) like Turkey, Oregon, or China, the Lord had prepared for us joy overflowing in a little town in northeast Arkansas with a population of 8,000.

This is a short reflection on our short time with the amazing community of believers in Wynne, AR.

It was no easy thing to pick up and leave for the summer. Now that I am a semi-adult this kind of thing is getting more and more difficult. There are jobs, bills, and many other factors to consider. When I first heard about this opportunity I thought that we would soon know shortly if God wants us to do this by making it possible for us to leave given all our responsibilities. God answered our prayers and made it abundantly clear that this was obedience for us for this season. And despite our reticence, we knew it better to obey.

Our job for the summer was to disciple the youth at First Baptist Wynne under the leadership of Uncle Randy Presley. It was light on logistics and heavy on relationships for which I was most grateful. We had always talked about doing discipleship, small groups, and just being very relational in our approach to ministry but it was still a learning process for us as well.

How do we teach and lead in such a way that will empower these youth to teach and lead others? How do we make leaders instead of followers?

We asked these questions and many more as we poured into these kids. We wanted to show them how to be intentional with everything they did. To use their God given talents and every day opportunities and see them as resources God has entrusted them for the Kingdom. We also wanted to be relational instead of programmatic. We took them to lunch, we went running together, we went on trips together.

We did life together.

Though this seems “radical” I believe with all that I am that this is the model Christ first gave us. Light on logistics and heavy on relationships. Almost counter intuitive. Christ poured into a small group of guys and did everything together with them. He not only showed them how to do life but He did life with them.

I pray that we had some lasting impact on the youth, but in all honesty, I believe we were the most affected during this summer. God challenged us, encouraged us, and just spoke to every part of our being. The community of believers in Wynne was absolutely incredible as they poured into Susan and me. We had the greatest pleasure and joy being a part of the Body of Christ in Wynne, AR. They are the most amazing people and I am thankful to gain such deep brothers and sisters in Christ.

My prayer now is that we live out in Wake Forest what we learned and taught in Wynne.

POST SCRIPT

The last part of the summer I finally started using the moped that is owned by the church. Though I fell the first time, I got the hang of it and it has almost sold me on buying one of my own someday. Randy’s youngest, Margaret Ann, had nothing for me the whole summer. But in the last week I finally, by God’s good grace, won her over. She started to ask for me and actually smiled in lieu of crying when I walked in a room. The greatest thing is that now whenever she sees a motorcycle or a moped she will say my name. That is victory enough for me.

To Kill a Jabberwocky

It has been a couple of weeks since I saw the new 'Alice in Wonderland' in theaters. I thought it was a good, solid watch, though it did nothing too drastically different as to better or even worsen any of the versions before it.

What I do remember from the movie that I liked a lot was Alice's confrontation with the Jabberwocky. Not so much the actual fight but how she convinced herself that it could be done.

It was great. Alice has a shield and a sword walking slowly up to the massive beast and she says to herself that it is impossible to kill such a creature. Then, remembering a saying she shared with her father, "I have accomplished six impossibilities before breakfast." She then started listing the impossibilities she had accomplished before facing the Jabberwocky.

In my estimation it was one of the sweetest parts of the movie. It speaks to all of us in some way or another. I see something before me that is challenging and I want to balk. I have a tendency to get anxious or nervous about certain things and then I realize that I have done crazier things and seen miracles happen unexplainable.

It makes me think of God's grace in my life:

By His grace I have been saved from my sin.

By His grace I have had the Holy Spirit poured out on me.

By His grace I have a beautiful family.

By His grace I have community and fellowship with Godly brothers and sisters.

By His grace I have the most amazing wife.

By His grace God continues to make me into a more lovable creature by putting challenges along the way making me depend all the more on His beautiful grace.

It puts daily activity in perspective and makes us think about the weight of victory in overcoming the impossible.

We love stories that the hero has to overcome impossible challenges. That is what makes them the hero. But when it comes to our stories we would rather avoid the risk of losing. But when we think about it we live and breathe by miracles.

To kill a jabberwocky, one must think of all the miracles that have happened even before breakfast.

The Just and the Justifier

Today we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I guess in theory we celebrate it every Sunday, and I guess we should celebrate it every single day.

The Resurrection makes us who we are.

One of the greatest paradoxes of the Christian faith is that God is Just and Merciful. He is more Just than we will ever be and more Merciful than we will ever be. It is because of Christ that He can be both, because in Christ He holds these two together.

God is the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is the King, a Righteous Ruler. To let rebellion go without punishing it would negate His Holiness, His Justice. A Just Ruler would not allow crimes to go unpunished.

So, the biggest struggle is that when I sin, when I rebel, when I am idolatrous, I feel the impossibility of approaching the throne of God, for it is against Him that I have sinned. My inclination is to run from the Sovereign God. But here is where the beautiful truth and freedom come in: Not only is He Just but He is the Justifier. He is not only the One who judges but He is the One who Saves.

My rebellion is against God Almighty, but at the same time only God Almighty can save me.

How does He do this? He becomes Man to take on the full punishment of rebellion of mankind. God remains Just and Merciful.

What better day to celebrate our Freedom? Religions have much truth to them but lack salvation for mankind. Christianity is so beautiful in that God becomes Man in order that His Character and Salvation are complete.

God is not only our Judge but Our Savior. He is not only the Just but the Justifier.

This is all because of Jesus Christ defeating death on the Cross.

What greater news is this?

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Chrsit Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23 - 26)

Go For It

This day three years ago I went for it. A girl who did not really didn't notice me for the whole month and a half of our exhaustive knowledge of each other. I had made attempts, some very lame attempts, at getting to know her but only in that uncommitted way that is much like a middle schooler hitting a girl whom he likes.

Nothing worked. I tried several ploys that I found out later only backfired. It was all or nothing. I even had a verse in preparation for my expected rejection. "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand." (Ps. 37:23, 24) I knew I could fall; I was just hoping I wouldn't be cast headlong. Sounds awful.

And so with little to no encouragement; with almost no hope whatsoever I put myself out there. By that time it was win-win. I wouldn't have to always wonder "what if?"

And now she is my wife.

I think the problem with many of the guys in the Church today (I count myself one of these before I finally put myself out there three years ago today) is that they befriend many girls, have many deep conversations, but never, ever put themselves in such a vulnerable position as to allow the girl to know their true intentions. And if they have no intentions then they should leave the girl alone. There has been many a trail of tears following guys with vague motives and ambiguous actions that are inconsistent and don't correspond with their words.

Telling Susan I was crazy about her seemed counter intuitive and foolish. But now, looking back three years after the fact, I could not imagine my life if I had not told her how I felt. I am thankful that I was not cast headlong and even more so that she gave me a chance.

Therefore, I tell all you guys who sit on the proverbially fence, "go for it." I am not saying it will necessarily work out. It very well might not work out. I am just saying be honest. At least you will know. And she will too. And you never know what could happen from there.

True Blue

I write this before the UK/Cornell game because an upset would make this post look silly.

There is nothing in sports more glorious than NCAA Tournament. Nothing. Even when the unthinkable happened (University of Kentucky not making the Big Dance) last year I still was fired up filling out my bracket, letting me emotions ride the roller coaster of the tournament with all its upsets, close victories, and close defeats. In my opinion the NCAA Tournament is a great example of what we label the "American Dream" (which would make the BCS the American Reality), where the underdog has a chance at greatness. This is the reason why most of the country pulls for the upset. America loves the underdog.

This makes rooting for UK difficult. The Cats are usually not the underdog in basketball (mostly because they play in the SEC). It makes it worse now that Kentucky's starting five is comprised mostly of NBA bound players who will not stay for more than a year. Don't get me wrong, I love watching these guys. John Wall is exciting, Cousins is a beast, and Bledsoe can hit the three (eight in a row the other day). They have brought success back to Lexington.

I have heard much criticism from those less fortunate who do not have quite the tradition UK enjoys. I must include, however, that the criticism has come from fans who pull for teams that have had their own fair share of "one and dones" (UNC and Duke, two other traditionally powerful teams). At the same time I confess that much of their criticism is not undeserved. There is something about the "one and dones" concept that I don't like. I understand it to some degree but it still doesn't feel as good as a team full of Seniors and Juniors who have been dedicated over the years and now seeing the fruit of their labor.

I remember back in '98 when Jeff Shepherd, Wayne Turner, and Scott Padgett were the main players for the Blue. I believe they were a 2 seed that year, and though still a high seed definitely not the favorite to win it all. They get to the regional final against Duke (their arch nemesis outside of the Commonwealth, and really based on one game) and find themselves down by seventeen points with seven minutes left to go. It was Tubby Smith's first season to coach and he beautifully outmaneuvered Coach K of Duke by not calling a time out for a run that lasted five minutes long. UK miraculously come back to win that game. In the Final Four they came back from behind to beat Stanford in Overtime, and then against Utah in the Final, down by ten at halftime, coming from behind the third game in a row to win their Seventh National Championship.

I loved that team. I loved the team in 2003 and 2004 who ended up exiting the dance prematurely. Cliff Hawkins, Gerald Fitch, and Keith Bogans were a great team. Hard working team.

Kentucky looks (outside an upset of course, which could happen tonight) like they are primed to win their eight national championship. And though I would be happy if they won, and I would talk my usual trash, I am sure it will not mean as much to me as the '98 championship.

With that said, as long as I am a basketball fan I will pull for UK. I am True Blue no matter what it looks like. Even if they have a questionable coach, or players that went to only one class during their tenure, or have a Final Four taken away three years from now, or even never again make it to the tournament, I will still bleed Kentucky Blue. I guess that is what makes me a fan at the end of the day.