The Jump

I ran across this story on the Yahoo webpage this evening. This event was well documented and covered in 2012, but he released this footage- shot with a GoPro. For those that don't know, GoPro is a high-definition weather-resistant camera used to videotape extreme sports (or really anything of your choosing). Let me just say- this one wins.
The video starts by showing Felix Baumgartner, a 44-year old Australian skydiver, inside a small capsule of some kind, the viewing audience oblivious to where he is. But as he opens the hatch, suddenly you realize; he's 127,852 feet above the earth, and he's gonna do it. But after he makes his final preparations, he says some distinctly profound words:
                        "Sometimes, you have to be up really high to understand how small you are."

And then he leaps into oblivion.
I was profoundly struck by the gravity (no pun intended) of that moment. This man was all alone- he was the only living thing in space. In the vast expanse of the galaxy and beyond, there was not one thing that lived except him. That requires a certain level of bravery that few people could ever boast to have.

This man completely surrendered himself to the forces of nature the nanosecond he relinquished his grip on that spacecraft. That point in the video was one of the most moving things I've ever watched, simply because it was so unique. There were so many massive factors and implications in that moment and no one person could ever comprehend them all. When he jumped, Felix had no idea what would happen. The only thing he had to trust in was the parachute on his back.

I think this video is remarkably similar to the Christian life. The nanosecond we relinquish our grip on sin and surrender our lives to Christ, we jump off a cliff. There is no single act of trust more significant than receiving the Holy Spirit. Despite the security of the spacecraft, Baumgartner didn't hesitate at all when he jumped, and neither should we.

I am also struck by how one-way that decision was. There was absolutely NO way Baumgartner could have 'unjumped.' Once he went, there was NO. TURNING. BACK. Sound familiar? Once we belong to Christ, there is no retreating to our former selves, no return to a sinful lifestyle, no more grip on hostility towards God. We can't 'uncommit' ourselves to Christ- we're locked in by the blood of the Lamb. There are few choices that can't be unmade by restitution or choosing a different course. Jumping out of a container 128,000 feet above the earth is one. Giving yourself to Christ is another.
Finally, I'm struck by the courage this man had to attempt something like this. There have been many brave things done by individuals throughout history- Columbus venturing to the New World, Lewis and Clark exploring the unknown Louisiana Purchase, Edmund Hillary scaling Mount Everest. I honestly think this is right up there with them, because it was such a unilateral decision- no turning back.
But the decision to follow Christ far outweighs them all. Eternity hangs in the balance- everything about who you are hinges on what you do with the person and work of Jesus Christ.

So watch this video. Watch it again. Have you thrown yourself off the cliff? How have you responded to the Call?

Whaddya think?

It's like I just can't decide.

Coming into college, I didn't know many people. Not many at Mizzou knew who I was or what I was like. They didn't accept me, they didn't reject me. They seemed indifferent. 

Everyone wants to feel accepted. Everyone wants to be loved. Everyone has a desire to know that no matter what, someone else approves of them. It validates our everyday lives. For Christians, we find that acceptance, that love, that approval in God the Father through the finished work of Christ. Because I didn't know anyone that would approve of me, I quickly turned to Christ because I knew He would always accept me because of His sacrifice for me. 

But then I began to meet and get to know people. I got to know their patterns, their passions, and their pet peeves. And slowly but surely, I made an emotional investment in their acceptance. I began to value what they thought of me more than what God thought of me. EVERYBODY has struggled with this, but me foremost. It's just so tangible. 

The fundamental struggle of the Christian life is faith. We are asked to take God at His word. We can't see Him, we can't touch Him, we can't hear Him, and we are asked to value His acceptance above all others'. Try convincing me that's not hard. When there are tangible people around us waiting to accept us, that's tough to rebuff because their acceptance is familiar to us and Christ's is not. 

Gradually, I learned what it took to gain the approval of certain people. It required me to be a certain person. I had to like certain types of music, use a certain vocabulary, have certain social habits, act a certain way. And that's what I began to do. I would become a certain person to please one friend, then I would take off that mask and don another one in order to be accepted by another friend. 

It's like I just couldn't decide.

Worst of all is the temptation to do that when romantic relationships are at stake. When that occurs, it does, as they say, "get real." As a young man, the only thing more meaningful than a guy's approval is a girl's, especially for single guys (like me). Once you get to know a young woman and find out what kind of man she's looking for, it's very easy to conform yourself to that mold in order to win her. For lost young men, there's not much wrong with this. But for young Christian men, there is, especially when the type of guy your romantic interest is looking for may not be the most morally laudable. 

I still struggle with this now. I must learn to find my approval in Christ alone. Ultimately, He is the only one who will judge me at the end of time, not anyone else- not the guys I watch football with, not my roommates, not the girl I really like. I still must put in effort to maintain good relationships with those people and reach them for Christ, but His approval is supreme. 

I value my friends. I value what they think. I want them to like me- there's nothing wrong with that. If they accept me for who I am (as a Christian young man), fantastic. But when that clashes with what God thinks of me,

I've made my decision.

A Footnote

Normally, I'd reserve this blog for journeys made and lessons learned. Just for today, I'm extending that to 'opinions held.'

All this Richard Sherman buzz is quite dizzying. It seems like there are a million different perspectives being thrown around and most of them are critical. Every now and then someone will throw out the obligatory "I thought it was great! I thought it fired up his fans and teammates- more power to him!" opinion.

I have two opinions on him- Richard Sherman the athlete and Richard Sherman the man.

Richard Sherman the Athlete
This guy is RIDICULOUS. He's tall, fast and athletic- clearly the best corner in the game. Any receiver should be shaking in their cleats when they see Richard Sherman lining up opposite them. He has put in a tremendous amount of effort honing his craft simply to be the best. I applaud his work ethic. He was, in fact, a multi-sport athlete in college. At Stanford, he was an All-American freshman wideout and outstanding cornerback as well as an All-American in track and field. He has clearly dedicated himself to being the best- because he is, and I think that's pretty cool.

Richard Sherman the Man
I'm hesitant to make broad, sweeping character judgments about anyone I haven't met and gotten to know. But from what I've seen, heard and read about him, Richard is edgy and gutsy. He has a Bachelor's in Communications and began work on a Master's degree at Stanford. STANFORD. Being an awarded multi-sport student-athlete at Stanford is nothing to sneeze at. But perhaps his abilities have gotten the better of him. Throughout the season and particularly in the NFC Championship Game yesterday, Sherman has displayed a frightening lack of respect and restraint towards his opponents. Yes, he made a game-changing play. Yes, he's a big reason why the Seahawks have a good chance to bring a Lombardi Trophy back to Seattle. But the glaring lack of sportsmanship is what frightens me most. He's not afraid to run his mouth and get up in your face. In my opinion, his habits of trash-talking and jeering on the football field are profoundly unprofessional and unnecessary. Really, the only way that we, the public, know what kind person Richard Sherman is is through interviews and on the football field- and he's not showing very well for himself.

Additionally, I've watched the majority of Seahawks games this year and last year, and Richard Sherman is not the only culprit of this behavior. There are numerous other players who have engaged in unacceptable behavior- being flagged for unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting (not to mention a myriad of others, making them far and away the most penalized team in professional sports), testy interviews, fights, arrests, failed drug tests and suspensions. I believe that Richard Sherman is the exemplar of the Seahawk Way- smashmouth, in-your-face, physical, edgy football. This is the style that Pete Carroll brought when he skipped town from USC and was hired by Seattle. I believe his leadership (or lack thereof) is largely to blame for the things we're so used to seeing from the Seahawks. Yes, it works; yes, it's brought them from annual mediocrity to constant contention in the NFL; yes, it's energized their fanbase and brought life to a city that, athletically speaking, hasn't had much to cheer for since, well, ever.
But it's unprofessional, it's childish, and it's disrespectful to the game of football.Yes, football is a physical sport, but it was never EVER intended to be a rough and dirty sport, and that's what the Seahawks have turned it into.

All to say, GO BRONCOS!

Back On the Horse

Close parentheses.

That's my goal.
Don't get me wrong- winter break was FANTASTIC. Reconnecting with old friends, forming relationships with new ones, and finding time for countless Starbucks runs in between- I don't think I would have changed a thing.
Christmas was unique for me. Growing up, I (along with most other kids) bought into the American consumerism we are so used to seeing around this season- it's all about the presents, baby. My Christmas list was always longer than I care to remember. Not this year.
This, year, I couldn't think of a single thing I really wanted for Christmas. Not one. And it felt GOOD.
I went into Christmas with no expectations at all. I was content with whatever God would bless me with, which is more than I could say for the previous 17 Christmases. There was nothing special or shiny or new or nifty about my Christmas. It was just great- it allowed me to focus on the best Gift I've ever received.
And God also blessed me with great friends to spend time with and be encouraged by.
Wrap it all up in a big bow and we come to today- my last night of freedom. My last night before responsibilities reenter my life. Admittedly, it will take some time to adjust to college life again. I have to be sharp, diligent, and dedicated- and that's going to be tough. But it's not my power doing that.