The Fall of a Giant

Penn State University removed a 900-pound statue of Joe Paterno from outside their stadium over the weekend. Oh how the mighty fall.
       Paterno's legacy as football coach of the Penn State Nitany Lions has been tarnished or possibly decimated due to the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse case.
       So how should we respond to this situation, to the unfolding consequences to a terrible tragedy in the lives of so many people?
       Let's first agree how not to respond:
* We must not have a posture of, "Paterno got what he deserved" with the removal of the statue or the sanctions against PSU. That reflects a level of vengeance that I fear causes decay in our own souls;
* We cannot justify Paterno's inaction or culpability;
* We must not lose our compassion toward victims, perpetrators, and bystanders of this tragedy.
       One of the redeeming things we can do is (re)learn crucial lessons about how we should live, how we should relate to collegiate athletics, how leaders should live their lives and carry out their work.
       Here are some lessons I take away and want to apply to my own world:
1. I am no better. I do not know what I would have done if I was in Joe Paterno's shoes. I say this because I believe as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, "The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man." Sorry folks, we are all very, very broken and sinful people.
2. With great power comes great responsibility. (to quote Peter Parker's uncle in Spiderman) Joe Pa had become larger than life in the Penn State world (and beyond). The 900-pound statue depicted that; it became an icon to Paterno's power and greatness. In my opinion, it is just wrong for a football coach (or other leader) to have such stature and power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely - and all the time.
3. The heart of leadership is influence - for good or bad. I am humbled, saddened, and scared by the Penn State situation. Paterno, Sandusky, the university president, the board chairman were leaders who exerted tremendous influence on many people's lives. The very fabric of leadership is influence - exercise it with great potential blessing to people or great potential damage to them. It is a sobering lesson for me.
4. I must choose for my heart to be transformed. Good leadership is impossible without a transformed heart. Transformation in my life has been a slow and arduous process. Perhaps it always will be. Jesus is the only one who can transform us into leaders who lead with integrity, and honor, and dependability, and grace. I look at the Penn State situation and I see people whose hearts were not transformed, and that ultimately leads to a huge fall.

Deflated...

I feel like this tire today - deflated.
     I lost a team member this week (not "lost" as in the person died or anything like that!). We had recruited the person and she was a top-notch leadership in all sorts of ways.
     Well I got a call a couple of days ago that God was leading her to another organization and to another position.
     It's really tough to argue with the "God is leading me" phrase. In fact, I am now having a taste of my own medicine. Some years ago when I took an executive pastor position here in Denver I had to make that dreaded call to my long-time boss, colleague and friend, Linus, and tell him I was leaving the ministry. I remember saying to him, "God is moving me on."
     Hmmmm .... sometimes I wonder if we should put so much on God! I'm not trying to say God does not lead us. He does. But He does so through people, heart desires, circumstances, and a slew of other ways. It's just too easy to throw out the phrase, "God is leading me." It's a conversation stopper.
     Anyway, I'm having a bit of a "pity party" today, groveling and groaning over losing a team member I had just recruited. Grumble, grumble. I'll get through it. But for today I feel like a flat tire on the side of the road.

Indifference is the Enemy of Courage

Many people died in Syria yesterday, including three of the most powerful men in the country (due to a suicide bomb attack in Damascus).
     I am deeply concerned that we in the West are largely "yawning" at the civil war in Syria. I am especially grieved that Christians seem to be indifferent.
     From 1980-1988 Iranians and Iraqis slaughtered each other by the thousands in the "Persian Gulf War." Western political powers were concerned about the war in so far as it affected the flow of oil to our countries from the Persian Gulf. The fact that tens of thousands of people lost their lives (some via chemical warfare) did not seem to penetrate our hearts all that much.
     I believe indifference is the enemy of courage, and our indifference or shrugging of our shoulders over Syria is another example.
     I have wondered (some time aloud, which can get me in trouble!) WHY many of us are indifferent about these conflicts. Here is three possible explanations:
1. These are Muslims killing Muslims (primarily Sunnis against Shi'ites). Non-Muslims have a difficult time grasping the tribal animosity between Muslim sects/factions. Our difference is birthed in our ignorance;
2. Some are anti-Muslim because we feel that Muslims are anti-Christian, anti-Jew, anti-West. So if they kill each other that's all the better for Christians, Jews, and the West. Sorry to be so blunt but I think there is some truth in this;
3. We are pro-Israel and generally speaking the nation of Israel is quite OK when Muslims slaughter other Muslims. So in our support of Israel we learn indifference to these other contexts.
     For those of us who are Christians we need to pray for the Syrian people - Shiites (Alowites), Sunnis, Christians. Men, women, and children. We need to pray that God (Yahweh that is) would intervene, would change the hearts of people (as he did with the Ninevites!). And may we not be like Jonah who resented God's mercy being poured out on a pagan people.
     May we have faith, and courage...which leaves no room for indifference.

The Humbling of an Umpire

Increasingly this year I have umpired higher level games, i.e. 14-year-olds through high school and adult baseball as well. I like the higher levels.
     This week I am working a tournament which I worked last year. Last year's age brackets were 11-15 years old. I worked 12 and 13 year olds. I figured I would do the older kids again this year.
     So when I received my assignment and saw that I was working 10-year-olds my jaw dropped. When you are a 10 year old you have a tendency to do a few inappropriate things in the midst of a game. These things actually happened in the 2 games I worked today:
     - The second baseman had to go to the bathroom and was increasingly "holding himself" in his privates, until his coach got sick of seeing this and took him out of the game. Presumably the boy went to the bathroom;
     - Three hit batters, three boys writhing in pain and crying;
     - 10-year-olds don't tie their shoes much. I think mom does it for them, except during baseball games.
     - Some cry when they miss a ball on the field, although they fake that they are injured so they can cry without shame. "Look, I got hurt, I can have a good cry."

Magnanimous People

Magnanimous: 

1. generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness;

2. high-minded; noble;

3. revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character.

Magnanimous people are life-giving people (rather than life-sucking people). I have known some of these life-giving folks along the way. They make the journey worth continuing.

     * There is Karl, who was a pretty big-name speaker on the Christian circuit, became a teaching pastor at a mega-church, then left that and started a small community for mis-fits and marginal people. And pours his heart into people;

     * There is Johan, who has served and served and served in quiet and behind-the-scenese ways for years. He's gotten run over by church politics along the way but he keeps on serving;

     * There is Gretchen, who gave herself to people for 25 years in a local church. Rolled out the red carpet for community on Wednesday evening dinners which she whipped up every week. No fanfare here, just heard work and loving people;

     The magnanimous types don't self-protect. They dive head first into the mess of people's lives and their very presence brings hope. They suffer because of their attitude. They get hurt, stumble around, and keep moving somehow. Must be the power of God in their lives.

     To you magnanimous folks in this broken and crooked world, press on in your life-giving, quiet ways. Somehow I think you reflect Jesus a whole lot more than the leaders and preachers who stand proudly in the spotlight.

My "Jewish Problem" and bin Laden

I want to attempt to give voice to something deep in the soul of many Jewish people. It comes to the forefront when a person such as Osama bin Laden is killed. I might fumble and stumble over my words about this, but I will try to give a "primal groaning" to my thoughts.
       My Jewishness screams out, "Yes, they nailed that mad man!" After all, bin Laden was a man who sought the destruction and elimination of every Jew on the planet, and of the nation of Israel as well (along with many other peoples). It is quite a bizarre feeling to be part of a people group who are so despised. It can cause havoc with your innards! Seriously.
       The "problem" I have is that I follow Jesus, and he does not want me to remain with a "posture of persecution" (my quotation marks, not Jesus'!). That is something we Jews have mastered - we have been persecuted many, many times over the centuries and we know what it is to be victims of mad men and run-a-mok regimes.
       I hide behind that cruel history, and rationalize my desire for vengeance. My friend Dan captured this in a comment he made a while ago: "too many of us have revenge in view with Bin Laden's death, rather than simply allowing our governments to pursue justice." Yes, that's where my heart goes - to revenge and vengeance.

       So back to my dilemma about following Jesus. It's challenging to follow Jesus and to be his talmid (student) on my good days, let alone when I want revenge! His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount blows my away; quite honestly I am undone by his words when I relate them to the situation with someone like bin Laden.
       In my own skin (flesh), I get a sick sense of satisfaction from the thought that bin Laden is burning in Hell. That's certainly not the attitude that Jesus wants us to have.
       At the same time I don't want to have the pendulum of my heart swing to where some well-meaning people would - since God is "making all things new" that means ultimately people such as bin Laden will be saved. That does no justice to the biblical idea of judgement.
       I am caught in my Jewishness sometimes, having a pity party over being a member of a persecuted people. My prayer is that God would supernaturally work in my heart so that  I might somehow, in some ways live the words of Jesus in his sermon on the mount.

Salam Sounds a lot Like Shalom

The Arabic word for peace is "salam." Hmmm, sounds very similar to the Hebrew word for peace: "shalom."
       My new friend Rani - an Arab Christian from Nazareth who I met at the Sahara Challenge training last month - runs a ministry called SALAM in the Holy Land.
       I took to Rani right away when I first met him at a conference last October. We are unlikely friends. Our personal history does not draw us to each other. In fact, my Jewish sub-culture tells me he is not to be trusted. Perhaps even suspected of something.
       And yet Rani runs an outfit called PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND! Nice name.
Confronting name.
   Challenging name.
      Comforting name.
         Supernatural name.
       Here is what "levels the playing field" for Rani and me: Jesus.
       Here is what allows us to embrace each other as brothers: Jesus.
       Here is what causes us to encourage one another in the pursuit of Salam/Shalom: Jesus.
For [Jesus] himself is our peace [salam/shalom], who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. ~ Eph. 2:14

Salary Scales and the Moral Fiber of a Culture

I believe there is a direct link between economic equity (not equality) in a society and its moral well-being.
       A recent Wall Street Journal article about CEO compensation in the oil and gas industry gave some startling facts. The article stated, "CEOs of oil and gas companies had the highest median value of total direct compensation at $13.7 million in 2010, up 17.3% from the year before."

         The highest paid Oil exec is R.W. Tillington of Exxon-Mobil. His total direct compensation for 2010 was more than $21 million.
         It seems to me that "liberals" tend to be on the side of condemning this type of inequity in our culture, while "conservatives" tend to say very little about it or applaud it as the way capitalism works best.
         Liberals see this as some kind of moral or ethical issue while many conservatives do not.
       What is most puzzling to me is that many Christians have little to say about this, with the exception of quoting a few biblical passages which seem to say that acquiring wealth is a good thing (there are many more passages in Scripture which warn of the dangers of great wealth).
       I am concerned about what this kind of inequity does to a culture, and why Christians seem to be unable or unwilling to find a voice in society advocating for simplicity of lifestyle. In point of fact, there are Christians who have challenged the People of God to simplicity - Ron Sider, Tom Sine, and Jim Wallis come to mind.
       And yet there are far more leaders in the Christian world who are incredibly vocal about issues such as militant Islam, the tragedy of abortion, and "the right to bear arms" while saying very little about materialism, consumerism, and lavish lifestyle.
       How about we Christians stand up for cultivating simple lives, becoming wildly generous with money and time and energy, and calling our materialism and consumerism what it is - sin.

I turn 50 in 3 Months

I turn 50 years old 3 months from today – October 9^th to be exact. I’m excited, can’t wait really!

Here’s some things I am looking forward to:

1. Becoming a card-carrying member of the AARP with all the requisite discounts.  I’m going to the movies right after getting my card just so I can get the discount;

2.  We’re having a big bash at our place, live music included (that went over so well for Steven’s graduation that we are doing it again);

3. I'm buying 50 cigars (a variety of course) for any and all guests at the party to enjoy as a "toast" to 50;

4. Listening to people who are older than 50 say to me, "50? you're a spring chicken," and people younger than 50 say to me, "you're an old fart now!"

     When I turned 40 years old the great folks at Crossroads Church in Amsterdam threw a surprise party for me on the Sunday before (or after?) my birthday. It was such a blast, one of my best birthdays ever. I'm hoping 50 will be as memorable.

Christians Can Learn from This Silence

The Navigator's Eagle Lake Camp near Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs wildfire of the past couple of weeks has been nothing short of tragic. 346 homes were lost, several Evangelical Christian organizations had property or staff members' homes burned.
     The Navigators - a great Evangelical group 70 years old - had damage to their Eagle Lake Camp (see photo). You can give a donation here to help with the rebuilding fund.
     I am so grateful that people in our society have not been saying that God has brought judgement on these Christian groups by allowing this fire to sweep through part of Colorado Springs. I am proud of the "secular society" which has been mum about such an absurd proposition.
     If only Pat Robertson could have been so kind in January 2010 when a devastating earthquake hit Haiti and Mr. Robertson implied that the natural disaster was due to the Haitian people making a deal with the devil many years ago.
     If only Jerry Falwell could have been so kind to homosexuals who were stricken by AIDS. Instead Falwell chose to say, "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals."
     Christians would do well to learn from the silence about the wildfires. It is a time to grieve, not to place blame.

A Boy Died in the Neighborhood

Last Friday evening I was heading to our Shalom Village gathering when I came across a line of cars stopped about 2 miles north of my house. I could not see around the bend but a man came running down the street telling everyone to turn around. A boy had been hit from behind about a minute before. The man screamed, "Turn around! Get out of here ... it's horrible ... you don't want to see this."
     I turned around and made my way to Shalom Village another way. I prayed silently for this unknown, un-named person who was hit.

     Later that night I learned that the boy was 14 years old, had moved from Chicago 2 weeks earlier to be with his mom, and his name is Robbie Fehlman. Robbie died on the scene of the accident at about 5pm on Friday, June 29th, at the corner of Garrison and Baltic in Lakewood about 2 miles from my house.
     It so happens that Robbie's family is next door neighbors with our close friends Jim and Rachel, so this hits closer to my heart than other such events.
     So why am I writing about this event on my blog?
* First off, I simply want to pause and grieve and feel sad about the loss of this life. His name was Robbie Fehlman and he is no longer alive. His family is devastated and something of my heart needs to be pierced by this also;
* Second, he had come here and was enrolled in Bear Creek High School, the same school from which Carly and Steven graduated. He was to be a football player there. Close to him once again;
* Third, I am reminded once again that life is so incredibly fragile and I should not take it for granted (although I do).
     The news reports quickly spoke about the person who was driving the car, and the possibility that she was taking prescription medicines, and that she is being charged with a felony, and that she is in the county jail. All of that helps only nominally to me, and it does my heart no good to desire vengeance and punishment for the person responsible.
     "An eye for an eye causes the whole world to be blind eventually." (can't remember who said this)
And so this Sunday evening, July 1 I remember Robbie Fehlman who I did not know. May he truly Rest in Peace with the Lord of all creation.

And the People Said, "Amen and Amen"

I just finished a week-long training in Minneapolis  called Sahara Challenge. There was about 100 people - Arabs, a Persian, African, Caucasians, Koreans ... oh and a Jewish guy.
     On the final night (last night) we laid hands on different cultures and people groups represented. An Arab who is an Israeli citizen prayed in Arabic and English for the group I was in.
     Get the picture? An Arab Israeli citizen praying for a Jewish guy amidst Persians, Africans, Whites, and Asians. Sure looks, smells, sounds, and feels like the Kingdom of God to me!
     Here's the peculiar thing about a gathering such as this: Most of us feel like minorities (maybe outcasts) in a lot of settings. We are either ethnic minorities or hold minority views about how God cares for and loves people. One evening at dinner I was sitting with a Palestinian-American woman, a Tunisian man, a Lebanese (former Shiite), and Arab-Israeli. We all shared a common bond of feeling misunderstood an as a "foreigner" amongst other peoples.
     What I love is that while we could easily feel alienated from one another (after all, our cultures have warred against each other for hundreds and hundreds of years), this week we were united - in Christ. Jesus transcends and cuts through prejudice, he is the great leveler. All of a sudden we recognize that we are all sinners, all broken, all in need of forgiveness.
     And so I stand next to my Arab Egyptian brother and worship God together. It is supernatural, another world, heaven come to earth for a brief moment.

Why I don't "throw in the towel"

I hear about men and women who have served God in ministry for many years and then "throw in the towel." They chuck ministry.

     Anyone who knows me knows that I have thought about throwing in the towel many times. I used to "dream" about becoming a trash collector in southern California. Think about it: You interact primarily with inanimate objects (trash), you get to ride on the outside of the truck hanging on for dear life, and you get health benefits!
     I was sitting with a friend just the other day and he recounted how a person we both know well is thinking about chucking his role as a senior leader for a ministry. I was saddened by this ... especially because I can relate to what this person is experiencing.
     So why not throw in the towel? I don't throw in the towel really for 3 main reasons:
1. I have a stewardship of more than a quarter century of following Jesus and serving his purposes. I don't want to waste that;
2. I believe in Satan (the devil) and I just don't want him to win a battle over me;
3. God seems intent on using people with doubts, questions, stumblings and bumblings who are about to throw in the towel. Somehow He wants to uses Moses who is the reluctant leader, Jonah who runs away from God, and Peter who denies Jesus three times.
     There are a handful of people who check out this blog who are about to throw in the proverbial towel. PLEASE DO NOT DO IT!
     Not now, not today.
          Let tomorrow's cares take care of themselves. Wait. Pray. Get counsel.

What Makes a Life-Giving Leader?

If I mention Huggies Diapers or Kleenex Tissues I am quite sure that you know the products well. What you likely do not know is the former CEO of the company which produces those items.

     You probably do not know that this CEO radically changed the culture and products of the company - Kimberly-Clark - a generation ago.
     You probably do not know that the CEO put his reputation and wealth and career on the line for the greater good of the company.
     You probably do not even know the man's name - Darwin Smith.
     In my opinion Darwin Smith was a classic Life-Giving Leader. Why? Because he exhibited some crucial, attractive qualities namely:
     Discipline and Focus: Smith made very painful decisions early on to sell off unprofitable paper mills and cut the losses for the company. The decision was wildly unpopular with the company's employees and board. 
     Consistency: Smith had an unwavering consistency in which people absolutely knew his yes meant YES and his no meant NO.
     Invisibility: Darwin Smith never sought the limelight, never sought accolades, did not take credit for the company's turn-around and eventual success. (parenthetically, I yearn to encounter Christian leaders who embrace this same quality - they are painfully few and far between)
     Finishing Well: Darwin Smith retired in 1991 from Kimberly-Clark and the company did not miss a beat. Over the coming years Kimberly-Clark merged with Scott Paper to become the world's largest paper goods company in the world. Smith died suddenly in 1995 of a heart attack. While his life was cut short, we still finished well.

Today is Father's Day

I'm a dad and very proud of my kids. Carly and Steven are just a HOOT! I am not sure how they have turned out as adjusted to the world as they are. But they have!
     So today is Father's Day and I am in Minneapolis, Susy is in Denver, Carly is in Denver enroute to Minneapolis, and Steven is somewhere in Eastern Europe. That just seems as it should be for the nomadic clan that we are.
     Thanks to blogging, Facebook, and things like Skype I am giving a "shout out" to my kiddos today - Here's to you, offspring!
     I am so proud and thankful to be your dad.
     I am excited for all that God has for you as you step into adulthood and make your mark on the world.
     I am glad that in your own unique ways you embrace adventure and see the world through new lenses of life.
     Enjoy your day, Carly and Steven. I'm so glad Carly is joining me in Minneapolis in a few hours for a week-long training on Islam! And Steven, I hope you are having a blast going back to your roots in Eastern Europe this week!
     Number 6:24-26.

Steven's graduation from high school last month.