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.

Some Do, Some Do Not...and Tiger Woods (again)

    I have concluded that the events of Tiger Woods greatly sadden me, perhaps more than I care to admit.  I am at the stage in life, The Second 50, where one can have great satisfaction in the skill and achievement of others. My personal diary and spiritual journal again take me to Tiger.

   It is with sadness to see a man who was highly regarded in the eyes of the world to be publicly humiliated and disgraced. Tiger will always be the standard of the disgrace and humiliation that extra-marital affairs can bring. As Saddam would say, this is the mother of sexual scandal.

    One can only wonder what his close friends and confidants said to him during these times.  Particularly when the National Enquirer became aware two (2) years ago that Tiger was seeing a lady but agreed to bury the story in return for a cover story. Unfortunately there was not a friend or confidant strong enough, to refuse to assist in flying ladies on Tiger's behalf.  Perhaps economically he had no choice and had no other career option.  As the advertising empire crumbles, he will be faced with finding another career choice.

    The consistent spiritual perspective that this historical figure called Jesus maintained is rather remarkable. The book of Mark recounts a time when Jesus was teaching those who had come to hear what he had to say. His mother, brother and sister apparently had joined the crowd on that occasion.  Their presence was made known to Jesus.  

    Jesus then shared with the crowd that whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother (Mark 3: 31 - 34).  The converse of this statement is equally true.  Yet, the great satisfaction in life, if Jesus is correct, is that you and me can live a life consistent with the will of God. And when we do so, our efforts are treated with the greatest respect in the eyes of Jesus.

New Lessons from the Tiger Affair(s)

      As I read the Biblical accounts of the life of Jesus and the current affairs of Tiger Woods, I have reflected often.

    Both individuals received tremendous public attention.  There is an incident recorded that Jesus had a difficult time enjoying a meal with his family because word had circulated that he was in town, and so many were coming to him for healing.  Surely, the healing was not only physical, which was miraculous enough, but it was also an emotional healing of the inner hurts and wounds that life often brings. (Mark 3:20)

    This idea that Jesus was merely a good man is again hard to accept by all that is written about him.  Despite all the scrutiny then and over the hundreds of years, we have yet to hear a scandal or a character blemish.  Even a good man would have clear, cut character flaws that were noted by critics then or by the many historians who studied and followed his life and the events of the day. 

    Tiger Woods has been publicly humiliated.  There is a certain amount of empathy from this writer.  One wonders how many men who have been innately given a voracious sexual appetite would satisfy the constant hunger if presented with attractive women time and time again who wanted to be viewed as special in his eyes. It is easy to throw stones at Tiger, or at President John Kennedy, or President Thomas Jefferson, or the great Benjamin Franklin, or the spiritual leader, Dr. Martin Luther King.  It is far more honest to say, but for the 'grace of God go I'.

    The scandalous-free life led by the historical Jesus of Nazareth is indeed remarkable.  One is forced by sheer logic to ask, was this Jesus simply a good man, or was he more?