What is truth? – Part 1
Last weekend was Easter. And while many of us were set to motion by the train of, “It’s Easter already?,” a locomotive of family dinners, Easter-egg hunts and church services, I felt like I was left at the station. In fact, I was left in almost full-suspension. It was a Matrix moment (just like the movie), and before I knew it the weekend was gone.
Our church’s Good Friday service, an observance of Jesus suffering and ultimate death on our behalf, left me feeling like I just exited the funeral of a loved one. My heart was heavy and languid. Although I did celebrate his resurrection and ultimate victory over death itself on Easter Sunday (of which I am eternally grateful), I still find myself deliberately recounting moments of that fateful and scandalous eve.
Who knows exactly what Pontius Pilate was thinking. Pilate, the Roman governor who sanctioned Jesus’ execution, must have thought Jesus was quite simply odd – a man who was clearly intelligent but (from Pilate’s perspective) must of had some loose screws due to his upbringing, cultural inferiority, or years on the street.
Have you ever struck up a conversation with a street person? Sometimes you can relate to them with ease and other times they say strange things that leave you feeling uncomfortable.
Jesus was like that. His neighbors were tired of hearing of His incendiary notions. He spoke of His own unworldly kingdom. He challenged Pilate’s beliefs, already pregnant with superstition and myths of the day. Jesus also said He was born to be king to bear witness to the truth, and everyone who believed the truth was on His side (John 18:37). Strange… and Pilate began to feel uncomfortable.
Pilate punched rhetorically, “What is truth?”
So, I guess the natural question is, “Can Jesus testify the truth?” That was the question that suspended me in my Matrix moment. Furthermore, how can I testify that Jesus is the truth? After all, if He is true as He says He is, then He deserves our very lives, fortunes and deepest affection.
– D
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Lumbering giants and Independence day
Everyone knows that we are not exactly lumbering giants. I struggle to find men’s pants that are short enough and shirts that don’t gape. Justus’ stature gives him distinct advantage in his sport. Lisa finds a since of equality when driving her large SUV among aggressive drivers. And, we have long grown used to seeing Rebecca hang out with taller friends who seem to have an insatiable desire to pick her up.
Rebecca’s petite frame often lulls me misleadingly from the certain reality that she is quite simply growing up. This weekend was Rebecca’s twelfth birthday, and the celebration awakened me with blaring conviction that she is two-thirds out of the nest. We should be more than halfway done in raising her towards full independence. Hmm.
I haven’t started my tax return yet. The two deadlines are distinct but the anxieties feel the same.
Still, almost daily, Lisa and I catch new glimpses of her maturity, spiritual conviction and nurturing service. We cherish these moments in our hearts.
(Note to Rebecca: this passing weekend was quite busy with all the parties, traveling and food. I just want you to know that I’m proud of you, and I’m thoroughly enjoying watching you grow into a beautiful young lady.)
Dad let me know this weekend that he cleaned up Papaw’s old shotgun. He’s thinking of gifting it to me soon. Sure looks like it might come just in time.
– D
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Justus scores first all-around
Simply put, Justus was “on” this weekend at the Presidents Day Invitational held at Houston North Gymnasium. He took first place in five of the six events: pommel, vault, floor, parallel bars and rings. He took third place in high-bar. He competed with 16 boys his age in the 7-8 category and scored first place in the all-around with a career high 54.35 points.
Lisa and I are very proud of the improvement he has made in just the last few weeks. He has made tremendous strides in pommel, his most improved event, by scoring an 8.55.
He’s a true competitor. He is very serious with his training, listens carefully to the coach’s instructions, and executes with great intensity. He is thoroughly enjoying this season and is clearly leading his commitment to the sport; Mom and Dad are the followers: He loves being early to practice and meets, he has the dream and talent to take this as far as he wants to go, and he is super level-headed. He knows that God has given him a gift.
While reflecting on the amazing day he had while riding home from the meet, Justus said, “When I’m in the Olympics, I’m gonna look back at this day and say, ‘That was a great day.'”
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New era for baseball?
Baseball is big in my house, particularly with us boys. We study the strategies, follow the trades and personalities (particularly as they affect the Astros), admire the talent and enjoy the battle of wills and trickery between the batter and the battery. Yesterday was another one of those battles of will and trickery, although not one that we actually enjoyed watching.
Roger Clemens, esteemed as perhaps the best pitcher in the modern baseball era, went before a U.S. Senate investigative committee to explain his involvement in the illegal use of anabolic steroids and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in professional baseball. (He was implicated in the Mitchell Report released back in December, the culmination of a 20-month investigation led by Sen. George Mitchell.) Up to this point, I had believed that perhaps Trainer McNamee had substituted vitamin injections for steroids/HGH without Clemens’ knowledge. In effect, Clemens would believe that McNamee was “getting him results,” and McNamee would keep the evidence for fraud and extortion. After all, McNamee was “small-time,” as the press has emphasized, with financial pressures, an ailing son and a broken marriage.
I had given Roger the benefit of doubt. I was able to ignore the sordid taped phone call, and possible witness-tampering. But yesterday, when Roger’s best friend Andy Pettitte stated in a sworn affidavit implicating Roger, I was saddened.
In the end, I believe that The Report, initiated by baseball commissioner Bud Selig, is a way to wipe the slate clean and leave the ugly past behind. In November 2005, MLB owners and players agreed to tougher penalties for positive tests. These penalties are considered in-line with most other professional sports: a first positive test would result in a 50-game suspension, a second positive test would result in a 100-game suspension, and a third positive test would result in a lifetime suspension from MLB(1).
Great, you say. Well, we are not out of the woods yet. Synthetic HGH abuse is difficult to detect. One of the first wide-spread HGH testing programs, although limited in effectiveness, was implemented in the 2004 Athens Olympic games. Last year, there were more breakthroughs in identifying protein “markers” left behind in the bloodstream following HGH injection(2). The science is catching up, but has a ways to go.
Here is my point. I love the sport, and while I’m thankful that the owners and the player’s union agreed to a hardened drug policy, I remain concerned about the historical preservation of the sport if banned drug use continues to be difficult to detect. How will we continue to relate and recount the historical greats of the modern baseball era (the likes of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron) with today’s record-breakers We won’t, because we can’t. And this chapter will regrettably come to a close.
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroids_in_baseball
(2) http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jun192007/national200706198280.asp?section=updatenews
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Bogging in the blog
Well, here’s to good intentions. Lisa and I started this blog in hopes of connecting better with our good friends and family.
It seems a bit odd, really, that we would resort to electronically journaling our lives to you rather than visiting in person. ‘Blog’ is short for web-log (I just learned that…) This undertaking is not some sort of vice to excuse ourselves from seeing and talking to each other, but rather a tool to share our everyday lives, our musings and simple happenstances with those of you who can’t see or hear us nearly often enough. Hopefully, we will press in and learn how to best use this technology, and hopefully we will find it useful, personal and feel a little closer to you all.
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The first meet of the season was the seventh annual Ricki Deci Memorial Invitational Meet hosted by Justus’ gymnastics academy, Champion Gymnastics. As you will see, the venue (Leonard Merrell Convention Center owned by Katy ISD) is definitely the classiest venue for competition of the entire season. With one exception, the rest of the meets will be held at working gyms that have poor air circulation and that nauseating smell of sweaty socks.