Around the Horn – 6/27/14

At first, Paul Levy has a good piece on coming forward. It’s one of my pet peeves. Just because you have a big auditorium doesn’t mean you need to use it all, particularly if you don’t need to. Come together, people. It helps everything.

At second, Philip Corbett at the New York Times has a good piece on writing where he exhorts us to “do the hard work of ironing out our sentences so readers don’t have to.” Complex writing may make you feel good. It may make you feel smart. But it won’t help your readers. Simplicity, not complexity, is a virtue in communication.

At third, over at First Things, Robert Gregory writes about his experience at Bowdoin College over the matter of university policy requiring that Christians organizations open the doors of leadership to non-Christians. Such a policy is so absurd on its face that it could only come from modern academia. However, Gregory insightfully says, “Too much ground has been conceded over recent years in purchasing a ‘seat at the University table.’” It is reminiscent, perhaps, of the old fundamentalist/new evangelical controversy and quip, “I’ll call you brother if you call me doctor.” It is hard to tell what the end of this will be. It has happened other places, and will continue to happen. It is a good reminder that the university, and university fellowships (as good as they might be) are not the way God set out to accomplish his mission. The church is still God’s way, and Bowdoin, Vanderbilt, or anything other university cannot affect the church.

Last, here’s another view of the world. Or at least of a few cities. Street Score is a way of determining safe and dangerous neighborhoods, at least the perception of them by asking people to rate photos from Google. Here’s the Detroit map for those interested. (It’s still the Detroit map for those uninterested.) It’s interesting because all the major streets are unsafe and the neighborhoods tend to be rated safer. What strikes me from this is the way that people are going about gathering data. It is hard to imagine there is anything reliable about the methodology. But appearance matters. Perception may not be reality, but it is perception, and it shapes people’s views. There’s a lot of lessons there I suppose.

This and That

I recently saw (for the billionth or so time) someone comment about the supposed evil of being known for what you are against rather than what you are for. It made me wonder if this person wanted us to know he was against people being known for what they are against.

It’s not there’s no truth to the idea. It’s that it’s simplistic and misleading. To be for something is automatically to be against other some things. And that’s okay. And it’s also okay to let people know you are against some things. However, if you are only critical, or constantly critical, you may need to rethink some things.

Speaking of that, I recently saw someone condemn someone to hell because they handled a situation differently than they would have. And this from a person who says fundamentalists are judgmental and graceless. Ironic, eh?

Which reminds me that it seems that the people who talk most about grace often seem to give it the least. They are all about grace … so long as you agree with them. Otherwise they want nothing to do with you.

Which reminds me that a lot of people hate theological or philosophical separatism in ministry. They have a novel solution: they do not associate with those who are separatists.

Methinks they don’t see the irony of it.

I do. And I laugh.

You see, almost everyone is a separatist. The question is for what reason and from whom. And that’s okay. Just have biblical reasons.

I was playing golf last night … a 4 ball match with a medal component. All that means is that there are two games going on at once and both holes and strokes count. We ended up winning 2-up on the match and 3-up on strokes. I tried to give it away on 8th hole by carding a snowman … on a 90 degree day no less. It was a disaster. But I came up big on the 9th to seal the deal with a tap-in par. We followed it up with a salad (both garden salad and crab salad), grilled lamb chops and chicken (I skipped the fish), garlic roasted potatoes, mixed vegetables, ice cream, and oreo bread pudding. Win or lose, that tastes good.  

Two things about golf and life.

First, don’t make a guy putt an 18-incher for a quadruple bogey. It’s really rude. Unless all the strokes count, in which case it’s smart, particularly if the game is close. But if you hadn’t given a couple of two-footers away earlier, you might not be down now.

However, if you are the one putting for an quadruple bogey, you deserve the shame of having to make it. In fact, you should probably have to make it twice. But to quote Jude, on some have compassion. But only when the competition is over.

Second, sometimes it doesn’t matter how bad you play, so long as you show up when you need to. It’s not a good way to live life, but you get away with it sometimes. And it won’t build character. But every now and then you get away with it. Last night was one of those times.

Around the Horn – June 13, 2014

At first, here’s an interesting article on forensic science. For those who criminal investigation experience extends all the way to Law and Order and CSI, this article gives a side of the equation that removes the simplicity. Which leads me to wonder about fingerprints and snowflakes. It is commonly said that no two are alike, but how would they know that unless they have compared every single fingerprint or every single snowflake? Which I say mostly to remind pastors (and prosecutors) to be careful about using illustrations which cannot be proven to be true, because someone out there will be thinking about it.

At second, here’s a good article by Mark Snoeberger on raising children. Mark gives a needed reminder that the modern emphasis on giving grace to children should not exclude common grace. I am reminded of an article I read recently of a father who was going to punish his son for disrespecting his mother. Instead, he gave the belt to his son and told the son to hit the father ten times as hard as he could. Not only does that distort the atonement, it disregards the biblical command for fathers to teach and discipline their children, and it disregards the biblical teaching on respect itself. A child should never strike a parent.

At third, here’s an article on hyperactivity among children. We have probably all experienced the soundness and ease of a night’s sleep after a physically strenuous day. Or even the comfort of sitting in a chair on the porch and having no energy to move after an afternoon of work in the yard. Perhaps some common sense in dealing with fidgeting among children would go along way towards solving certain problems. There is no “one size fits all” solution. But there are some common sense things that get overlooked. Maybe this is one of them.

And last, Jurgen Klinsmann may have been a good soccer player, and a good tactician, but he’s clearly a bonehead as a coach. He came out several times recently saying that the US cannot win the World Cup. Now, let’s be honest: That doesn’t take a particular helping of clairvoyance to know that. But it’s a dumb coaching move to say it. That’s the job of commentators (of which there is not shortage). It might be something you say after it’s over. But it is not something you say going into a tournament.

While I am on this topic, I continue to think that the idea that Landon Donovan is not one of the 23 best players in this country right now doesn’t stretch the bounds of credibility. It is blows far past said bounds. For Klinsmann to leave Donovan off the roster was both a dumb PR move and a dumb coaching move. If Klinsmann wants to prepare young people for the 2018 World Cup, he has four years to do that. And it starts by exposing your young players to the experience and leadership of the most decorated players in US Soccer history. I maintain that if the US doesn’t make it through group play, Klinsmann should be fired in a post game press conference.

Around the Horn

At first, Matthew Hoskinson writes about What a New Pastor Doesn’t Know. Having lived the life of trying to revitalize an older, dying church for a few years, actually fifteen years, I think the five year number is probably too high, at least for some things. But there is a lot of wisdom in these words.

At second, here’s an interesting post about China and the work of the gospel there. Whether or not one agrees with the strategy talked about here, this gives an interesting perspective, particularly on the idea of bringing suffering and persecution to people.

At third, here’s an article in which Late Night TV host David Letterman talks about his regret over humiliating Monica Lewinsky. It reminds that comedy today seems based on humiliating people. It’s easy comedy, but cutting, disrespectful, and damaging. Letterman and others have made a career out of it for years. To express regret now may be honest enough. One wonders if he feels the same regret over the others he has humiliated. It is a good reminder to think before you speak, because there is a real person on the other end of those words.  

Last, USMNT Jurgen Klinsmann has named his 23-man roster for the World Cup this summer. Strangely, US stalwart Landon Donovan is not on it. This would have been Donovan’s fourth World Cup. Klinsmann is taking a big chance. He says he has the highest respect for Donovan, but one is not out on a thin limb to read that as pure politics. Klinsmann’s actions over the last year do not line up with that. I find it hard to believe that Donovan is not one of the best 23 players in the country, particularly with his experience and leadership. Klinsmann will (hopefully) live or die with this. If the USMNT does not get out of the group play, Klinsmann should be fired before the final whistle.

Here’s My Take on the NBA, Sterling, and Race

You probably heard that NBA owner Donald Sterling made some racist comments recently. People are all up in arms. Everybody is weighing in to condemn this is no uncertain terms. And it should be condemned in no uncertain terms. It was an unconscionable statement with no place in civil society.

On Tuesday, the NBA responded with a life-time ban from anything NBA related, a $2.5 million fine, and will apparently try to force him to sell the team.

Here’s my take: this was easy. Too easy. Good, but easy.

It takes no great moral courage to sound off on this one. This was a soft lob right down the middle. You don’t have to be Miguel Cabrera to drive this somewhere long and deep.

It’s easy because it won’t require you to change anything in your life. You can say your piece, and go right on back to the way things are.

The problem is exactly that: It’s easy. This was a politically incorrect thing to say, and an easy target for response. When it comes to real issues, few are willing to take a similar stand. Why? Because it’s harder. As the old saying goes, what’s good for people isn’t good for politics.

I don’t know that that’s an old saying. In fact, I may have just made it up. But it’s true.

President Obama weighed in on Sterling and said it was bad. Good for him.

This is the same guy who, just a year ago, couldn’t muster up a word about a guy who murdered hundreds, maybe thousands, of black people.

Apparently telling your girlfriend you don’t want her being seen with black people is horrible.

Killing black people? Not so much.

Why? Because Kermit Gosnell was an abortion doctor. And one thing worse than killing little black babies is making it so little black babies can’t be killed.

Or saying you don’t want your girlfriend taking pictures with black men.

You see, Sterling was a old rich white guy with a young girlfriend who could work a recording device. Gosnell was an abortion doctor who killed babies for decades. Those two things aren’t equal. One deserves vicious tirades and substantial punishment. The other is painted as an anomaly and quietly goes to trial in hopes that the outcome doesn’t damage women’s abortion rights.

In another incredibly brave example of courage and social consciousness, word comes that UCLA turned down a $3 million grant for kidney research because it came from the Donald Sterling Foundation.

Imagine that conversation: “Yes, we were close to finding a cure for you, but the money that would have helped was offered by a man who man who didn’t want his mistress-girlfriend posting pictures with black guys, and it was important for us to make a social statement. But don’t worry, we still have our dialysis machine, and we will send flowers to your funeral.”

I won’t pretend to understand the complexities of race, economics, community, education, and all the related things, so I won’t pontificate on that. You probably don’t understand either, and you shouldn’t pontificate either.

I won’t pretend to think I can change the world. You can’t either.

Here’s what you may not know. The NBA didn’t learn anything new this week. Sterling didn’t change his views last weekend. This has been known about Sterling for years and years. And no one did anything. Stern sat on his hands while his wallet and the NBA’s wallet got exponentially fatter.

Now, new NBA commish Adam Silver doles out lifetime ban to Sterling. Whoopeee!!! He’s eighty-one years old. Eighty-one. 81. Yes, they gave a lifetime ban to an 81-year old. What courage. What a statement.

Oh yes, and they are going to force him to sell his team. Or at least try to force him. You know what that means? It means that Sterling’s $12.5 million purchase in 1981 will probably net him somewhere north of $750 millions. I don’t even know what the rate of return is on that, but please, punish me with such force.

NBA, you want to make a difference in race issues? Don’t make symbolic gestures. I am not saying reinstate Sterling. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. Seriously. It doesn’t. No one’s life is changed or not changed by this.

If you want to make a difference, get serious about decimated family structures in urban areas. Start by leading the charge to make sure every black baby actually gets born rather than being eradicated from its mother’s body like some sort of cancer.

Figure out a way to help men take responsibility for their children. Start by getting serious about the children your players have with multiple women. $10K a month in child support is no substitute for dad loving mom, and being around the house, teaching their little boys to be men, and teaching their little girls to be women. And realize that a very large number of black children are growing up without active fathers. That’s far worse than Donald Sterling spouting off in private.

Do something about education. No, I don’t mean send a player to read a book for thirty minutes to a class in some upscale school district for a photo op. I mean figure out a way to make a meaningful difference in kids’ lives so that they can learn the basics of life, and have a shot at moving out of the urban ghetto they have grown up in.

Do something about black employment. I know your own employ is more than 75% black, but what how about start some urban initiatives for places where half that percentage are chronically unemployed. Do something about the situation where many people don’t look for jobs because they actually lose when they find one.

Be creative. Do something substantive. Take some of those billions you make and start addressing real racial problems.

By all means, keep Sterling out of the NBA for life. Take his $2.5 mill fine and spend it on some charitable organization addressing race. Sell the Clippers to a minority group led by Magic Johnson, Oprah Winfrey, or whoever.

But don’t think you killed the big one because it took you thirty years to make a non-meaningful social statement that won’t actually change anything.

And don’t sit on your laurels and think it was anything other than a non-meaningful social statement.

The real work starts now. So get busy.