To whom much is given...

It's been a while since my last post and I have only to say that I just haven't made the time to sit down and write out my post. However, this is something that I have been brewing over for the last couple weeks now. I had only further confirmation of this subject when, in passing conversations the same phrase or subject was mentioned, and I am excited to share it with you. It's funny because the initial thought to post came when I was watching the film Spiderman on TV one night. It is the part when Peter (just after he has been inadvertently inoculated with spider venom) is in the car with his uncle and Peter is acting like a typical "I'm too cool for you" teenager while his uncle is trying to reach out to Peter and let him know that everyone goes through the stuff that Peter is going through: growing up, discovering new feelings and emotions etc. But what stuck out to me was right before Peter gets out of the car. His uncle says something to the effect of: "With great power, comes great responsibility." What a loaded statement.

Now I look at this phrase from a personal level all the way to a macrocosmic level (well maybe not that broad, but maybe a national level.) I'll start personally and then grow from there. For the sake of length, I'll only go back to my freshman year of college, although I have other examples much earlier in my life where this path can follow. I chose to go to the University of Portland in Oregon for a few different reasons. One, it was a smaller school, classes averaging 15 or so students, 3000 students in all. Two, I loved the city (artsy, laid back, colorful, full of life). In addition, I was very interested in the soccer programs of the schools I was looking to attend, because that was and still is a huge part of my life, and Portland was one of the top schools for soccer in the nation. There were a number of schools that had some of these qualities, but none except for Portland had one very key element not mentioned: Clive. Clive Charles was the head coach at UP for both the men's and women's soccer programs for over a decade before he passed away from prostate cancer right before I started my junior year. Clive hooked me right away, he was an Englishman with a knowledge about life and the game I loved that was comparable to no one. He was an amazing coach with a fatherly way about him that instantly commanded respect and trust from all of his players.

The reason I speak of Clive is that he taught me so much about so much. He wasn't just my soccer coach, he was a life coach. The knowledge that I gained from the two years that I knew him, I never want to forget, and never should. I have been given a responsibility to carry on the knowledge that he imparted unto me because I feel that that would be only fair to him and to others. I try to live my life in such a way that integrates Clive's life lessons into my every day experience. I think most of the guys and girls who played under Clive feel the same way as I do; and whether carrying on his legacy is through taking on the responsibility of coaching soccer or translating them into various other vocations, it is something I think we all will strive to do for the rest of our lives. I know I will. It's my responsibility.

I think the reason I feel so strongly about carrying on Clive's legacy, is that there is someone who came to this earth long before Clive who taught us all a lesson on responsibility. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said to those who were listening, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" Christ, even though he did not want to, was entrusted with the hugest responsibility anyone will ever have- being crucified on a cross for crimes he did not commit in order to save a fallen world. He was given a choice, as we all do, to follow his father's instructions, or take advantage of the power that was available to him. To whom much is given, much is expected. I have been entrusted with the responsibility to live my life as unto the Lord in every possible facet because of what Christ did for me. Therefore, not only as an individual, but as Christians in general, we must take on the responsibility of being a light in a dark world because we have knowledge of a great power that holds us and guides us and knows all our actions.

Finally, as Americans, we have great power because of our freedoms we received from those who have come before us, and those who fight for it at present. This power allows our nation to influence any and all regions of this planet if we so choose. But that's just it. It is a choice. We, as a nation, can choose; as an individual, I can choose. Much has been given to us, therefore, much is expected in return. Will we rise to the challenge?

Oops...

For those of you who have wanted to make comments, but were then forced to try to become a blogger yourself instead, I believe I have rectified the problem. Rookie blogger mistake. My fault with the settings and such. I believe it is all good now, feel free to comment to your heart's content! :) Have a good one!

Too Quick to Come to Conclusions

This past week I went to a conference at a local college here in Denver regarding faith and culture. One of the speakers, Barry Taylor had some interesting insights that sparked an internal conversation within myself. I am still pondering most of what was said, but I'd like to share one of the paths I've found myself wandering and in the mean time possibly convince you to start watching the show Lost on Wednesday nights as well. :)

One of the points Taylor wanted to emphasize about culture in this present day in age is that it is obsessed with the unexplained. There has been a societal shift from way back in the day when the age of reason ruled, to this newfound obsession with mystery and the unexplained. Pop Culture is searching through this mystery not necessarily to find the answer, but to just be immersed in the mystery itself and experience all there is to experience. For example, the show 'Lost' takes a plane full of people which (unexplainably) separates while plummeting to the earth because of some mysterious malfunction; who have crashed on a desolate island of the coast of....oh wait...it's a mystery; and unexplainable events happen such as a big black cloud coming out of nowhere snkeaking up behind people and then snatching them into an endless abyss, or a paralyzed man can unexplainably walk once on the island. The list can go on, but you see the point.

Taylor emphasized that sometimes people are too quick to come to conclusions within the framework of culture; assuming rather than experiencing for themselves. Back to my example with 'Lost'. My friend Amy and I watch the show together every Wednesday that there is a new episode with gripping anticipation of the characters' every action hoping that it will uncover more of the mystery that shrouds the island and all that it contains. During commercial breaks we enthusiastically jabber about what we think will be the outcome of the episode, assuming that we know what is right. However, almost inevitably, a twist is thrown in that we had not anticipated which makes both of us completely off base in our assumptions, throwing us for a loop and wanting that much more for next week to come more quickly so that we can know more of this mystery.

Perhaps Christians find themselves assuming too much when it comes to culture just as one might assume they have all the answers to a TV show before watching the whole episode. How can one assume they know if they haven't experienced it to some degree or at least taken the time to try and understand why culture does what it does. If we enter into the experience but through a different lense, then maybe we can relate to culture meeting individuals where they are. Maybe culture is searching more for the Divine than we think. Maybe if we look a bit closer, we can see glimpses of truth even in the lowest levels popular culture rather than assuming it is all trash and should be thrown out.


Other reasons to watch 'Lost': Great character development, wonderful acting, sarcastic and whitty dialogue, endless possibilities, to relate with other 'Lost' junkies, you will know exactly what to do and how to survive if you ever find yourself on a plane that has crashed onto a gorgeous island with no sign of help arriving anytime soon.....Wednesdays on ABC....