Proud to be a Christian. . .eh

I learned two things this week that I didn’t know before.  Even though I am not a sports fan I am aware that Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play professional baseball in the Major Leagues in the States.   And I even knew that before they started promoting the movie “42”.   What I didn’t know was that he played in Canada the year before without a problem or incident.  The fact that he was African American didn’t seem to be an issue. 

In 1946 Robinson played for the Montreal Royals, the affiliate team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Robinson said “The fans there were just fantastic and my wife and I have nothing but the greatest memories.” 

The other thing I discovered was that Robinson was not only hired by the Dodgers because of his skill on the field but because of his commitment to Christ. 

One biographer wrote “The reason, quite literally, (Branch) Rickey chose Jackie Robinson was his strong moral character and his Christian faith.”  Ricky knew if this was going to work they would have to have someone who would take the teaching of Christ about turning the other cheek seriously.  

 Kind of makes me proud to be a Christian and a Canadian.  Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.   

A Little Good News, Please.

I need to say from the beginning that I feel that the bombing in Boston last week was a tragedy.  But, did I have to hear about it every time I turned on the television or looked at a newspaper?  It is because of the news coverage of events like this that people feel the world is becoming a worse place to live with each passing year, but that is only because we gorge on bad news.

If you think that these are new problems then you slept through history class.  Bad people doing bad things to innocent people has been happening since Cain decided to deal with his poor self-esteem issues by killing his brother.  And people have been killing innocent people with bombs since there were bombs to kill innocent people with.

A crime of an even larger magnitude happened in Texas the same week when a company put profits above the safety of an entire town.  However, I suspect the bomber in Boston will be dealt with much more harshly than executives in Texas.

Ultimately, whether people want to admit it or not, the answer is Jesus.  Because Jesus is the only one who can change people so they value human lives more than hatred and more than profits.   Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.   

Not Safe Box

They thought their valuables were safe.  After all, they paid to make sure they were kept safe, and the things they kept their valuables in were called “safe deposit boxes.” Which I’m sure led people to believe that the items they stored in their “safe deposit boxes” would actually be safe.  And different people had entrusted different things to their “safe deposit boxes”, there was jewellery, cash, stock certificates and personal items that were valuable only to the people who had paid to keep them safe.  However, they didn’t worry about them because they knew their valuables were safe.

So you can imagine how those people felt when they discovered that their valuables along with the “safe deposit boxes” had been removed from their Hong Kong Bank and destroyed.  Sure, it was a mistake, but their belongings were no longer safe, as a matter of fact in many cases they were simply no longer. Embarrassed bank officials said, “It's a very unfortunate and regrettable incident.”  That may have been an understatment.

There are many people who have played it safe in life and think that their valuables are safe, but I wonder how many have bothered to take care of the most valuable of all their possessions, their soul? Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.   

End Thinkism!

I hope I’m not a thinkist.   “And what” you may be asking “is a thinkist?”  Well the short answer is someone who suffers from thinkism.  And what is thinkism? 

I recently discovered the concept of thinkism in a novel by James Grippando and I am now committed to avoiding being a thinkist.  Today it is no longer acceptable to hate or pass judgement on someone  for their gender or race, and that’s a good thing, that would make you a sexist or racist.  However in this age of instant communication, it seems quite acceptable to pass judgement and demonize someone for what they think or say. 

I’m not saying that we can’t disagree with someone’s thoughts, but it’s when we personalize it and hate someone for having the audacity to disagree with us, that it becomes thinkism.

A few years ago I wrote a magazine article that was obviously more controversial than I thought.  Online I was branded a liberal by some and a legalist by others. My scholarship and integrity were derided and simply because I dared to express my opinion, and that was by other pastors. 

And so, I will endeavor to respect the personhood and dignity of those I disagree with and refrain from thinkism.  Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.   

They want his Bones back

They want his bones back!  You may recall the story from February; remains discovered under a parking lot in Leicester in 2012 were confirmed to be the bones of King Richard III, the last of the House of York.  Over five hundred years ago, Richard died in the Battle of Bosworth and the location of his body had remained unknown, until recently.

What started off as an interesting archaeological discovery and historical footnote has now turned into a bitter dispute between authorities and Richard’s descendants.  It would appear that plan to re-inter His Majesty’s remains at the Cathedral in Leicester is not to the liking of those who share his DNA.  Instead his great nieces and nephews insist that Richard would be much happier if his remains were laid to rest in York, his ancestral home, 100 miles to the North.  They claim York is a better location for Richard’s “spiritual” home.  The interesting note is that the debate has turned a little nasty.

This past Sunday, Christians around the world gathered to celebrate the fact that although our King was buried He didn’t remain buried.  And, because of that, we can be assured that he is preparing our “Spiritual” home for us, and it won’t be in York.

Have a great week and remember: To see what is really possible, you will have to attempt the impossible.