Pride or Termites: How Christians Respond to the Problem

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God is not a big fan of pride. In fact the Bible warns us that pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). God is not alone in feeling this way. In fact, I doubt there is anyone who really likes dealing with another person’s pride. But what if that person sits on the next pew? How can we help a prideful church goer see the error of their ways? Based on my experience the best way is to first recognize the insecurity that often comes before pride.

Insecurity is like a nest of termites chewing a hole in the foundation of a person's character. In response we try to build something to hide the hole, often an altar to ourselves known to others as pride. Unfortunately, Christians tend to have a knee jerk reaction to pride. We know what the Bible says and feel we must save people from themselves. When we see pride in other people we go and knock it down. In the process we all too often knock down the person, ignoring the termites underneath the altar.

While we are busy knocking down the altar and the person, those termites are busy chewing. Now the insecure and emotionally injured person has a bigger hole. A bigger hole means they need a bigger altar. In spite of the best efforts of Christians around the person pride becomes a bigger issue than ever before. Again we knock it down. The person falls along with the altar. The termites keep chewing and the cycle continues.

So how should a follower of Christ deal with a prideful brother?

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?"

Matthew 7:3

Before trying to help, a believer must first make sure their heart is in the right place. We must make sure our desire to “help” is not really an attempt to run from our own pride and insecurities. We should not look to put the other person in their place or to prove them wrong just so we feel better. This is not about winning a victory. It is about helping our brothers and sisters grow in Christ.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood..."

Ephesians 6:12

It does not matter how prideful or arrogant they are, people are not our enemies! Do not go after the person! All too often I've seen believers wage mental and/or emotional warfare on others. This does not help a brother grow nor does it draw non believers to Christ. Going after the person is as effective as punching them in the nose. If the real problem is insecurity your attacks only make matters worse.

Our response to pride begins with prayer. The battle is spiritual not physical and spiritual battles are fought on our knees in prayer. From there we see God, Who will deal with the real problem without being distracted by the pride stage show. Prayer prepares our hearts so that we can respond in the right way and for the right reasons, building up instead of tearing down. In prayer we prepare to deal with the termites instead of aiding in the destruction, helping to make the other person whole.

I believe God equips His children so that they can help others live free of pride and insecurity. How we respond to His equipping determines whether we help someone grow or tear them down. We are called to help each other in love without contributing to their destruction. Are you dealing with the termites or are you knocking other people down?

2019 NFL Conference Championships

My losing streak finally ended last Sunday leaving me with a .500 weekend and an overall 19-16 record. This weekend sees the four top offenses and 1 seeds vs. 2 seeds in both conference games. Both games feature veteran successful quarterbacks facing up and coming young quarterbacks. Who will prevail?

Los Angeles Rams vs New Orleans Saints
3:05pm on Fox

How is it that Drew Brees keeps getting better? I keep hearing about what he can no longer do and more recently how his 40 year old arm is starting to show its age. Yet here he is in the NFC Championship ready for the challenge from Jared Goff. This has the potential to become a passing clinic with both teams putting a lot of points on the scoreboard. But one stat stands out: rushing yards allowed. The Saints have a huge advantage here. As a result the Rams fortunes will fall on the ability of their O-line to open things up for Todd Gurley. I think Gurley needs a 100yd day for the Rams to win. Even then I do not think they can overcome a good Saints team.
Rams 45-Saints 51

New England Patriots vs Kansas City Chiefs
6:40pm on CBS

These teams are on the path to playing what could be the game of the year. Unfortunately if you like low scoring and smothering defense this is not what you will find. Both teams will move the ball and this could come down to who has the ball last. I also think coaching will play a big part in this game especially after the 2:00 warning of both halves. I think a close game favors the Patriots.
Patriots 45-Chiefs 42

No matter the results this weekend, we are looking at a high scoring Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. These last three games should be a fun end to a great season.

Random Thoughts January 15, 2019

We are in the middle of a record breaking government shutdown here in the United States. The sticking point is money ($5.7 billion at last check) requested by President Trump to build a wall between us and Mexico. Last week the president took his case to the public speaking from the Oval Office. In an unusual move Democratic leaders asked for time to respond with speeches of their own. Both sides gave their spin on the matter. Neither said what I wanted to hear.

President Trump started by speaking of the humanitarian crises playing out on our southern border where we have children being held. Meanwhile we try to solve the problem of how to handle what is going on. Both sides recognize the problem. The president's answer is money for immigration judges and equipment designed to help enforce our immigration laws. President Trump also wants His wall. What I didn't hear is why this wall is the most cost effective approach. And while Democrats label the wall as immoral and obsolete I hear little of their plan and why it is better than a good old fashioned wall. Both sides are speaking but neither is giving any real or new information.

Meanwhile thousands if government employees missed their paychecks last Friday. I have a tough time embracing the idea that a great country asks its civil servants to go without pay while politicians waste time trying to see who will blink first. Certainly I want a secure border but not at the expense of those hard working men and women whose paychecks are drawn from the U.S. Treasury. Give these families a break. Open the government. A great country does not use its own people as political pawns.

One sign that we are a nation of great people is how average citizens are reaching out to government employees. A number of restaurants are offering free food to government employees. I've heard of at least one situation where government employees were offered free rent and utilities. A guard at a federal prison was offered cash support when his story ran on the news. This is the spirit of America where we help our neighbors. This is one of the things that makes this nation great and it's found in our people not bestowed by our government.

At first I was concerned when I read about VW investing millions in China for development of electric cars. This left me wondering if the U. S. will fall behind when it comes to automotive technology. Automakers are investing in response to China's policy which is steering the country towards cars that use something other than internal combustion. A handful of other countries have similar policies. But then I read a couple of articles about U.S. automakers investing in electric cars in response to market forces. Hopefully we will see the U.S. take the lead in bringing us some really cool cars.

2019 NFL Divisional Playoff Round

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I could have done better last week had I flipped a coin or used darts. My picks were like the kiss of death leaving me with a record of 17 and 14. On top of that the "double doink" left me feeling numb after the Bears loss to the Eagles. That game was tough on me with my two favorite teams playing each other. Parkey's eleventh missed field goal left me in a place where I could neither enjoy the Eagles win nor mourn the Bears loss. I just felt funny...just numb.

Here are my picks for the divisional playoff round, although based on last week, teams may not want me to pencil them into the win column.

Indianapolis Colts vs Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday 4:35pm on NBC

Two great offenses will step onto the field at Arrowhead Stadium. We will get to see an outstanding rookie quarterback vs. a candidate for comeback player of the year. These teams are even in every aspect except on defense. I still believe defense wins championships making a difference even in shootouts. Plus I think Hunt's actions have hurt the Chiefs on many levels. The Chiefs' home playoff losing streak continues.
Colts 35 Chiefs 24

Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams
Saturday 8:15pm on Fox

I mentioned last week how the Cowboys' offense improved significantly with the addition of Amari Cooper. This improvement makes this team better than they look statistically on paper. Better offense also helps a good defense play even better. This week that defense will face an offense that has been one if the best all season. This game will come down to running backs, namely can either back be slowed down. This means both defenses will have their hands full. I think Dallas will have the advantage at the line of scrimmage.
Cowboys 30 Rams 27

Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots
Sunday 1:05pm on CBS

A lot has been made of the Chargers' record on the road. While they are impressive away from home a trip to Gillette Stadium for a playoff game is an entirely different situation. The Chargers will face a Patriots team that is not a dominant team like in past years but they are still good. The Patriots offense will not stall like the Ravens last week. They will score but will their defense be able to keep the Chargers out of the end zone? These teams are evenly matched. Usually when teams are even I go with the better defense. However in this case I have to go with the Patriots who almost always find a way to overcome their own shortcomings.
Chargers 24 Patriots 27

Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints
Sunday 4:40pm on Fox

Forget the score of their regular season game. This is not the same Eagles team as the one that gave up 48 points in November. The defensive secondary has come together covering better down the stretch, finally taking advantage of the pressure applied by their front four. The Eagles will play 4 quarters this time around, something they had not done most if the regular season. But the Saints are 13-3 for a reason and Drew Brees is, as always, consistently good. Brees and his receivers present matchup problems which will test the Eagles' secondary. I think this game will come down to two things. First, can the Eagles defense avoid giving up big plays? They must keep the Saints offense in front of them and they cannot afford any missed tackles. Second, will the Eagles stay patient with the run? They will have to if they are to win.
Eagles 21 Saints 27

Sorry fellow Eagles fans or, based on my last week's picks, maybe this is good for the birds, bolts, Rams and Chiefs.

Are You Really Calling the Police? Where is the Church?

I can still hear her scream. I remember the man falling as he ran past me. Now I think about that night every time I hear about someone calling the police on a person whose only 'transgression' is being black out in public. And each time it happens I find myself wondering where the church stands on this issue.

I thought about that night most recently after hearing the news that employees of a Portland, Oregon DoubleTree Hotel called the police on one of the hotel's guests. The guest, a black man, was in the hotel's lobby talking on his phone. Even after showing his key card and envelope with room number and check in date, Jermaine Massey was asked to leave. Portland police escorted him to his room where he retrieved his things. The officers then offered to help Massey find another hotel but he declined their help.

According to different media outlets the employees involved were fired. Most likely we will never hear their explanation as to why they needed to call the police on Mr. Massey. Most likely the explanation involves fear or suspicion based not on the actions of a hotel guest but upon what he looked like. We can only speculate on this as we have had to do so many times in 2018: as we had to do when police were called to a Philadelphia coffee shop where two men were waiting for a business associate. In the same way I can only speculate on what those women were thinking that night on a Philly subway platform.

I was in college at the time, headed home after a late night hanging out with some friends. Here in Philly we have a station where two subway trains meet. I entered the station for the Market-Frankford Elevated (the east-west train) and walked towards the passage that would take me to the Broad Street line (the north-south train). Along the way I saw two white women sitting on a bench while waiting for their train. As I passed both women wrapped their arms around their purses pulling them closer to their chests. I ignored them having no interest in their purses or their persons. My only concern was being on time for my next train.

As I reached the passage connecting the train platforms I heard a scream. Shortly thereafter a white man ran by me, tripping and falling a few steps beyond. He quickly jumped up and ran forward towards the Broad Street Line. Not until he turned the corner did I realize he was carrying a purse. By then it was too late, I would not have been able to catch him had I given chase. I hate to admit it but my first thought was “Ha, that’s what you get!” My second thought was that it was in my best interest to walk home instead of waiting for the train. I figured standing on the platform could only mean having to talk to the police. Under the circumstances I thought it best not to hang around. (I admit my own biases lead me to the wrong conclusions in both cases.)

Other than being black I have no idea what I had done that made the women clutch their purses so tightly as I walked by. I can only speculate about what they were thinking about me or about the white man who came later. Were they more comfortable around the white man before he mugged them? Did this comfort leave them vulnerable? Whatever the reason they were afraid of the wrong person that night.

Fear and stereotypical beliefs contribute to people calling the police on blacks who are doing nothing more than living. This is a heart issue. As such it is time for the body of Christ to decide where it stands. The church teaches that Jesus changes the heart for the better. His church needs to speak out as it has against discrimination in the past. We need to tell people how skin color is not an indication of criminal intent. The church needs to speak to the cultural change we need to see before another innocent citizen is harmed by a false report of a crime. It's time for the church to stand up.

2019 NFL Wild Card Round

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The last few years I have enjoyed trying to pick winners in the NFL playoffs. Last year was especially fun as I watched the Eagles take home the Lombardi Trophy while earning myself an overall playoff record of 17-10. This year I get to enjoy seeing both of my favorite teams in the playoffs, though only one will survive this weekend's wild card round. I'll tell you which of my favorites moves on but first let's look at the two Saturday games.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
Saturday 4:35pm on ESPN

These two teams split their games during the regular season with the road team winning each game. I expect both defenses to win the battles at the line of scrimmage forcing the offenses to play with quite a bit of discomfort. In fact both teams face the likelihood of becoming one dimensional, resting their fates on the arms (and for one team legs) of their respective quarterbacks. That opens the door for two great receiver performances by the Colt's Hilton and the Texans' Hopkins. The Texans do have an edge though, in that if either team can run the ball it will be the home team. In what should be a fun game to watch I just don't see the Colts winning twice in NRG Stadium. I think Watson outplays Luck leading his team to a win.
Colts 27 Texans 34

Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys
Saturday 8:15pm on Fox

The Seahawks have been very quiet this year, a stealth team with a solid record but without the noise that seems to surround some of the other playoff teams. They will arrive in AT&T stadium carrying playoff experience along with the league's top running game. They will face one of the league's best running backs and an offense that improved significantly with the arrival of Amari Cooper. Both quarterbacks are capable of making big plays when needed and this is likely to be a high scoring game. Which defense is more likely to make a critical stop in the 4th quarter? I think that will be the Seahawks defense giving them the win.
Seahawks 45 Cowboys 42

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday 1:05pm on CBS

I'm having a tough time with this one. On paper these teams are close. But the season's stats do not give the full picture of what the Ravens have been since they changed their depth chart at quarterback. Lamar Jackson has changed this team. I'm just not sure if he changes them enough to beat the Chargers. These teams are evenly matched. Can the Ravens defense slow Philip Rivers and a very balanced Chargers' offense? Can the Chargers slow down the Ravens' running game? The Ravens are on a roll and I believe they will move on.
Chargers 14 Ravens 27

Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
Sunday 4:40pm on NBC

I grew up in Northwest Indiana where our tv stations came out of Chicago. I watched the Bears through the Walter Payton years, suffering each season until they shuffled to a Super Bowl win. More recently I have lived in Philadelphia for over thirty years suffering with the Eagles until last year's Super Bowl victory. Now my life long favorite sports franchise is playing against my home team. In the end I'll likely feel happy and heart broken at the same time. This is also a tough pick for me as I know one of these fan bases is about to throw me off the bus.

This should be a great final game in a fun weekend. Who wins will depend a lot on Doug Pederson. Now I know a coach normally cannot win or lose a game but in this case the outcome rests on Pederson's patience with the run. If he loses patience the Bears defense will make him pay with turnovers and even a score or two. I think the Bears defense finds the end zone at least once leading to a Bears win in a tight one.
Eagles 13 Bears 14

Sorry Eagles’ fans. That hurts me too.

These are my picks for wild card weekend. Who do you think is going to win?

I heard two radio announcers complaining that while defense wins championships, low scoring defensive battles are boring. What do you prefer, a low scoring defensive battle or a shootout offensive showdown?