The Second 50: Reflections on Life and News from the Other Side

Merry Xmas...Leadership That Provides Insights on Life

    I have immensely enjoyed learning to blog and maintaining a personal diary of sorts online.  It has been nice to comment on a few current affairs, mainly the matters with Tiger Woods, healthcare, and Carrie Prejean.  And also to reflect on the historical life of Jesus as I read through the  book of Mark and share a few thoughts that come to mind.

    I try to reconcile what I am reading with the notion that this historical figure called Jesus was simply a great man, or a great leader. All that I read conflicts with this view.

    Anyways, today's reading focuses on an event where those closest to Jesus asked him to explain one of the parables Jesus taught the crowd that day.  That thought alone has meaning.  I have been struck by how often in these first few chapters that Jesus is taking the time to teach the crowd, or talk to those around him about spiritual matters.

    If the historical example of Jesus is to be followed in any way, it means of course that insights about life, values, character are to be shared and discussed with those around us.  The insights that this historical figure called Jesus shared were consistently spiritual in nature.  Our sharing should also have a spiritual dimension and serve as food for the soul.

Publicy Scrutiny: Carrie Prejean's Sextape and a Public Healing

    Like many, I have followed the events of Carrie Prejean with great interest. There was sadness when the news of her sex tape became public and she had to withdraw what she felt was a legitimate suit  against the Miss America pageant over the position she took on gay marriages.

    Carrie's public view on marriages immediately garnered support from the Christian right, including the private phone calls from Sarah Palin and Ms. Palin's daughter.  The opportunity to write a book and appear on various talk shows to promote both her book and the convictions she had been done wrong b the pageant has given her a platform.

    This public platform has of course led to scrutiny of whether her private life is consistent with her public comments on a Christian view of marriage.  The news she obtained a boob job paid for by the pageant raised a few eyebrows. The X-rated sex tape of her engaging in solo sex for her boyfriend raised additional eyebrows. Now it appears there are several sex tapes, and several nude photos.

   Jesus also set off a public storm during his day.  He was under great scrutiny then, just as those who publicly proclaim to be a Christian receive great scrutiny.  As I read about the public storm Jesus set off by healing a man on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-2), I find myself reflecting: ...was this guy Jesus simply a great man that moved people to reassess their values and motives, or was he the Son of God as he claimed?  

    Oddly enough, it was the healing of another of another individual that seemed to be so at odds with the clear rule of 'no work on the Sabbath day' that spurred the decision among that generation's religious leaders then to plot against Jesus and seek his demise.

    The 'Carrie story' and the physical healing of another 2000 years ago raise unique issues of public scrutiny of one's public and private worlds -- and the Christian values we may proclaim and attempt to live out.