Flags and Football

Last Saturday my 5-year grandson played his first flag football game. I was not able to attend, but I suspect it was as much about flags as football. It seems the National Football League has now descended into a deep morass as much about flags as football. I don’t know or care that much about what football players do during the showing of the American flag and singing of the National Anthem – sing, stand, sit, kneel, stay in the locker room. I know that it started with Colin Kaepernick last fall, and has greatly expanded this year. The initial protest was ostensibly a protest against injustice, but apparently some of the new protests are against the rhetoric of President Donald Trump.

I understand free speech and protest, but employees do not have a Constitutional right to free speech while paid by their employers to work. Though there is protection for certain types of expression in the workplace for other reasons, this is not specifically a “First Amendment” right. But again, I don’t really care how NFL team owners address the issue. Here is what bothers me the most.

Football players, you overpaid entertainers of a fickle American public, why are you such whiners? According to the Gazette Review, the average 2017 salary of an NFL player is $1.9 million per year. Yes, that’s right folks, $1,900,000 for such (un)important work! Compare that to the average salary for doctors in 2017, which is $168,000; the average salary for police officers in 2017, which is $60,270; the average salary for soldiers in 2017, which is $49,000; and the average salary for teachers in 2017, which is $44,000. Yes, we pay our football players about $1,856,000 more per year than those who take on the sometimes thankless task of educating our children. I understand something of how the economy works, and that you guys can make that much because there is a (perhaps hard to explain) demand for what you do. But here is the thing. Instead of protest that divides the country, even your fans – or perhaps in addition to – why not put your money where you knee is and take some of the money that (some of you) are spending on booze, drugs, & whores and help some of those oppressed people you refer to? It might go a lot further and be appreciated a lot more.

And you, Mr. President, don’t you have something better and more important to do than worry about the National Football League?

Miracles and compassion

There is an interesting side discussion to the record of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead -- the Gospel of John, Chapter 11. Whether Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom, Paradise or Heaven (in whatever manner one interprets them, whether they are all the same or not) Lazarus must have been in a better, more peaceful, less painful place. 

We tend to interpret most of the miracles of Jesus as acts of compassion that made life better for the one who benefited from the miracle. And certainly the Bible suggests that in many places.

• Matthew 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
• Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
• Matthew 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
• Mark 1:41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
• Mark 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
• Luke 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

In this case of Lazarus, though, it seems the beneficiary was not particularly Lazarus -- who came back from a better place to a worse place -- but his family and friends who mourned his loss, and especially those who believed on Jesus because of the miracle (Cf. John 12:10-11). What say ye?

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:30ff. The story of the Good Samaritan is full of deep truth. Perhaps sometimes we are so intent on mining those nuggets that we miss the simple wealth strewn on the surface -- that we ought to be good helpful and compassionate neighbours.

Why should we help? be compassionate? be a good neighbour?

The condition of the hurting: "stripped of his raiment...wounded and...half dead" v. 30; The world is a sinful world full of hurting people. If this was a perfect place perhaps there would be no need. But it isn't and there is.

The unconcern of others: "a certain priest...saw him, he passed by on the other side...a Levite...came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side." vs. 31, 32; Jesus commanded Peter to "follow me", but Peter shifted attention by questioning what John was supposed to do. Jesus replied, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me." We are not responsible for others.

The command of the Saviour: "Go, and do thou likewise" v. 37 (cf. v. 27: "Thou shalt love...thy neighbour as thyself.") When Jesus commanded Peter to "follow me", Peter wanted to shift attention to John. Jesus replied, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me." The command of the Saviour ought to be enough. Everything else is secondary.