"Those who will not reason are bigots, those who cannot are fools, and those who dare not are slaves.”
-Lord Byron
Joe Paterno, beloved Hall of Fame football coach of Penn State University for 46 seasons and a living legend, died Sunday at the age of 85. He now rests in peace, but peace is the last thing those in the community that loved him best are experiencing.
This is odd to be saying about a man who had a remarkable record of success in most every way. “JoePa” was the all-time winningest coach in major college football, graduated an impressively high 78% of his players, and won multiple national championships. More importantly he was a family man (married for just short of fifty years, with five children and 17 grandchildren) and an exceptional mentor. He was also extraordinarily philanthropic, community minded, and a model example of how to run a major football program with integrity.
Which made the horrific revelations about child sexual abuse going on within his staff almost inconceivable.
In 2002, Paterno was told that one of his assistant coaches had allegedly sexually molested a young boy on the campus. At that time Paterno immediately fulfilled his legal duty by reporting what he had been told to his superiors. And then he went back to business as usual and apparently never addressed the issue again.
When the case finally went public three months ago and the university exploded in controversy, the Board of Trustees rightly concluded that Paterno could have, should have, done more. He should have been more assertive in pursuing the truth, in confronting the alleged molester, and in recognizing that protecting the innocent was the best way to protect the football program.
Although the investigation has not implicated him in any personal wrong-doing, Paterno’s disturbingly passive approach to the reported evil that went on behind his back cannot be excused, regardless of his age, his cultural background, or his lack of specific knowledge. He knew enough to have done more, and he admitted as much before his death.
Now the struggle to understand Joe Paterno’s complicated legacy is already stirring heated debate. And with any heated debate you have extremes; “pro-Joe” or “anti-Joe,” with very little in-between.
Enter the virtue of reason.
Reason is the ability to think calmly, deeply, and well; to take an issue and explore it from different angles while avoiding the mistake of drawing premature conclusions.
Reason helps us take our emotions, understand what they’re telling us, and then use them in a greater pursuit of objective truth.
Reason guides us in gathering and sorting through the relevant facts.
Reason is the process that leads to an increasingly complete understanding of the whole story.
Reason is an essential part of being human.
But reason is too often in short supply, particularly during times of great crisis, and pain, and fear, and anger because reason takes mental discipline, and moral courage, and a willingness to seek the middle way of integrity. His remarkable record of success notwithstanding, Joe Paterno failed to practice the virtue of reason when it came to confronting child sexual abuse. He serves as a case study.
But what people do with this coaching icon who in the final three months of his life became a tragic hero will be even more instructive. Some will want to airbrush and deny, while others will want to crucify and dismiss. However those who practice the virtue of reason will resist the temptation to veer toward one extreme or the other. They will choose instead to explore the complexities of the man and his legacy, and begin to draw valuable insights from this moral confusion.
And once more it will be shown that good really can come from anything.
Question for reflection: Do you think deeply and carefully?
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Humming along: The virtue of perseverance
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”
-Samuel Johnson
Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai was a force of nature. In her seventy-one remarkable years she was a champion of women’s rights (especially in her native Kenya), was a notable environmentalist, and even served as a member of parliament and assistant minister for environment and natural resources. Along the way, her husband divorced her because she was “too strong-minded for a woman" and he was thus "unable to control her". My hunch is that she said thank you!
In 2004 Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Wangari Muta Maathai had to fight for virtually everything she had, and suffered many losses. But she was never defeated! Not long before her death, she told a simple story that seemed to capture the spirit of her life, and the essence of perseverance. It goes something like this…
A large forest fire raged out of control, and all the animals were overwhelmed by its power. As it consumed more and more of their home all they could do was watch, frozen by fear and feelings of powerlessness. Only the hummingbird could respond. He was intent on doing something, anything to make a difference. So, with his little wings he quickly flew to the nearest watering hole and filled his tiny beak with water, flew back to the edge of the fire and dropped the water he’d been able to carry. Again and again he flew back and forth. After a little while, the larger animals said to him, “What do you think you can do with your little wings and little beak?” Not stopping to defend himself or his actions he answered as he passed them, “I can do the best I can.”
Could the hummingbird put out the fire by himself? Of course not. But he could do the best he could with what he had, and keep doing it, regardless of what the conventional wisdom had to say, regardless of the overwhelming odds, regardless of the fact that he worked alone. And could any of us hope to do more that that?
The virtue of perseverance is about having meaningful goals, and continuing to strive to achieve those goals in spite of difficulties. What is meaningful? Anything that helps you or others develop good habits...habits that lead to life, habits that lead to happiness, habits that lead to heaven.
Because all virtues are grounded in reality, if the goal I am striving for is not ultimately sustainable or worthy of pursuit, perseverence will reveal this. In other words, at some point the hummingbird probably concluded that the fire could not be stopped and it was time to redirect his energies, but he was the better for having tried. And maybe his fellow forest dwellers learned a thing or two about life from watching him work. Nothing was wasted.
The virtue of perseverance is not based on external success or perfection, but rather on consistency and right motivation.
“I will be the best person I can be by doing what I can consistently.” “I will be the best father I can be by doing what I can consistently.” “I will be the best plumber I can be by doing what I can consistently.” “I will be the best student I can be by doing what I can consistently.”
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” What is great? Don’t give up when things get hard, and you’ll know soon enough!
Question for reflection: Where have you practiced perseverance, and where do you need to?
-Samuel Johnson
Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai was a force of nature. In her seventy-one remarkable years she was a champion of women’s rights (especially in her native Kenya), was a notable environmentalist, and even served as a member of parliament and assistant minister for environment and natural resources. Along the way, her husband divorced her because she was “too strong-minded for a woman" and he was thus "unable to control her". My hunch is that she said thank you!
In 2004 Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Wangari Muta Maathai had to fight for virtually everything she had, and suffered many losses. But she was never defeated! Not long before her death, she told a simple story that seemed to capture the spirit of her life, and the essence of perseverance. It goes something like this…
A large forest fire raged out of control, and all the animals were overwhelmed by its power. As it consumed more and more of their home all they could do was watch, frozen by fear and feelings of powerlessness. Only the hummingbird could respond. He was intent on doing something, anything to make a difference. So, with his little wings he quickly flew to the nearest watering hole and filled his tiny beak with water, flew back to the edge of the fire and dropped the water he’d been able to carry. Again and again he flew back and forth. After a little while, the larger animals said to him, “What do you think you can do with your little wings and little beak?” Not stopping to defend himself or his actions he answered as he passed them, “I can do the best I can.”
Could the hummingbird put out the fire by himself? Of course not. But he could do the best he could with what he had, and keep doing it, regardless of what the conventional wisdom had to say, regardless of the overwhelming odds, regardless of the fact that he worked alone. And could any of us hope to do more that that?
The virtue of perseverance is about having meaningful goals, and continuing to strive to achieve those goals in spite of difficulties. What is meaningful? Anything that helps you or others develop good habits...habits that lead to life, habits that lead to happiness, habits that lead to heaven.
Because all virtues are grounded in reality, if the goal I am striving for is not ultimately sustainable or worthy of pursuit, perseverence will reveal this. In other words, at some point the hummingbird probably concluded that the fire could not be stopped and it was time to redirect his energies, but he was the better for having tried. And maybe his fellow forest dwellers learned a thing or two about life from watching him work. Nothing was wasted.
The virtue of perseverance is not based on external success or perfection, but rather on consistency and right motivation.
“I will be the best person I can be by doing what I can consistently.” “I will be the best father I can be by doing what I can consistently.” “I will be the best plumber I can be by doing what I can consistently.” “I will be the best student I can be by doing what I can consistently.”
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” What is great? Don’t give up when things get hard, and you’ll know soon enough!
Question for reflection: Where have you practiced perseverance, and where do you need to?
Friday, January 13, 2012
On bended knee: The virtue of obedience
“It is for each of us freely to choose whom we shall serve, and find in that obedience our freedom.”
-Mary Richards
As you may know Tim Tebow is presently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. And he has quickly become a figure of controversy because of a particular way he expresses commitment to his deepest convictions.
At crucial moments during the game or just afterwards he will kneel, seemingly oblivious to those watching him. Head bowed and resting against a firmly clinched fist, eyes shut, he prays. And this simple act has become a full-blown phenomenon. “Tebowing” has even been recognized as a word in the English language by the Global Language Monitor as a result of its worldwide usage. It is celebrated by an army of admirers and mocked by more than a few cynics.
What’s going on here? What exactly is the big deal about a football player, even a professional football player on television, kneeling to pray? Why are so many so upset? His critics loudly claim that Tebow has commercialized his religion, that he is a phony, that he is manipulative, and that he is out of line. But the shrill tone of these judgments, and the disproportionate anger aimed at “Tebowing” suggests a much deeper process at work here. And the simple act of kneeling is the trigger.
What does kneeling symbolize? Obedience. And in a world where individualism has become a popular religion, where the “I” answers to no one, kneeling is sacrilegious. With “I” as supreme ruler kneeling is an undignified and immature act at best, and more probably a sign of pathology…of a weak “follower.” Self-actualized adults are supposed to outgrow obedience like footsie pajamas, belief in Santa Claus, and the need for parental approval. Right?
Not if we’re talking about obedience as a virtue. A virtue makes one better, and also makes the world better. So, sad people checking their minds and their dignity at the door, and blindly following some crazy, evil tyrant need not apply.
Obedience as a virtue is about freely, thoughtfully following orders. It may be connected to religious beliefs, but it may not involve religion at all. The virtue of obedience reminds us that we don’t know everything, that we could use a little guidance now and again, and that we must be accountable to something more than our egos. It challenges us to move past self-absorption toward humility and service to others. And in the practice of the virtue of obedience, we find our greatest freedom.
“It is for each of us freely to choose whom we shall serve, and find in that obedience our freedom.”
My hope is that at some point the people criticizing Tim Tebow will stop focusing on his kneeling, and start focusing on his life. Because how he expresses obedience isn’t nearly as important as what this obedience produces.
And maybe these critics will also find some time to ask themselves what brings them to their knees…or should.
Question for reflection: What do you kneel for?
-Mary Richards
As you may know Tim Tebow is presently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. And he has quickly become a figure of controversy because of a particular way he expresses commitment to his deepest convictions.
At crucial moments during the game or just afterwards he will kneel, seemingly oblivious to those watching him. Head bowed and resting against a firmly clinched fist, eyes shut, he prays. And this simple act has become a full-blown phenomenon. “Tebowing” has even been recognized as a word in the English language by the Global Language Monitor as a result of its worldwide usage. It is celebrated by an army of admirers and mocked by more than a few cynics.
What’s going on here? What exactly is the big deal about a football player, even a professional football player on television, kneeling to pray? Why are so many so upset? His critics loudly claim that Tebow has commercialized his religion, that he is a phony, that he is manipulative, and that he is out of line. But the shrill tone of these judgments, and the disproportionate anger aimed at “Tebowing” suggests a much deeper process at work here. And the simple act of kneeling is the trigger.
What does kneeling symbolize? Obedience. And in a world where individualism has become a popular religion, where the “I” answers to no one, kneeling is sacrilegious. With “I” as supreme ruler kneeling is an undignified and immature act at best, and more probably a sign of pathology…of a weak “follower.” Self-actualized adults are supposed to outgrow obedience like footsie pajamas, belief in Santa Claus, and the need for parental approval. Right?
Not if we’re talking about obedience as a virtue. A virtue makes one better, and also makes the world better. So, sad people checking their minds and their dignity at the door, and blindly following some crazy, evil tyrant need not apply.
Obedience as a virtue is about freely, thoughtfully following orders. It may be connected to religious beliefs, but it may not involve religion at all. The virtue of obedience reminds us that we don’t know everything, that we could use a little guidance now and again, and that we must be accountable to something more than our egos. It challenges us to move past self-absorption toward humility and service to others. And in the practice of the virtue of obedience, we find our greatest freedom.
“It is for each of us freely to choose whom we shall serve, and find in that obedience our freedom.”
My hope is that at some point the people criticizing Tim Tebow will stop focusing on his kneeling, and start focusing on his life. Because how he expresses obedience isn’t nearly as important as what this obedience produces.
And maybe these critics will also find some time to ask themselves what brings them to their knees…or should.
Question for reflection: What do you kneel for?
Friday, January 6, 2012
Because of you: The virtue of love
"If I know what love is, it is because of you."
-Herman Hesse
Love is the greatest of all the virtues. And it is the foundation of everything that is good. Nothing else has been written about more often than love, or studied more closely than love, or longed for more universally than love, or confused more regularly than love.
Love is why human beings were created, and what we should live to be and do. But what is it? After all the philosophizing, and theologizing, and soliloquizing, what is love?
Stop.
There’s a place and a time for defining, and analyzing, and categorizing. But to really get at the breadth and depth of love, and to really understand how to do it, we need to start with a different question.
Because fundamentally love is not a what, love is a who.
I can ask you to define what love is, and you might be able to quote someone. And that warms you about as much as watching a video of a fire in a fireplace. But if I ask you who love is, you come alive. Because love is incarnational, embodied, like no other virtue. Love wears a face.
Love has hugged you. Who is love?
Love has kissed you. Who is love?
Love has held your hand. Who is love?
Love has laughed with you. Who is love?
Love has cried with you. Who is love?
Love has sacrificed for you. Who is love?
Love has fought for you. Who is love?
We love because we have been loved; that’s how we know what love is, and that’s how we know that life is worth living.
Can you even imagine your life without love?
I think of so many who have blessed my life by loving me, and teaching me how to love. But today I'm thinking particularly of my father-in-law, on what would have been his 68th birthday. He’s been dead for fifteen years now…dead, but not gone. Because life in this world ends, but love doesn’t. And that’s everything.
I love you, Mike.
Question for reflection: Who are the faces of love for you?
-Herman Hesse
Love is the greatest of all the virtues. And it is the foundation of everything that is good. Nothing else has been written about more often than love, or studied more closely than love, or longed for more universally than love, or confused more regularly than love.
Love is why human beings were created, and what we should live to be and do. But what is it? After all the philosophizing, and theologizing, and soliloquizing, what is love?
Stop.
There’s a place and a time for defining, and analyzing, and categorizing. But to really get at the breadth and depth of love, and to really understand how to do it, we need to start with a different question.
Because fundamentally love is not a what, love is a who.
I can ask you to define what love is, and you might be able to quote someone. And that warms you about as much as watching a video of a fire in a fireplace. But if I ask you who love is, you come alive. Because love is incarnational, embodied, like no other virtue. Love wears a face.
Love has hugged you. Who is love?
Love has kissed you. Who is love?
Love has held your hand. Who is love?
Love has laughed with you. Who is love?
Love has cried with you. Who is love?
Love has sacrificed for you. Who is love?
Love has fought for you. Who is love?
We love because we have been loved; that’s how we know what love is, and that’s how we know that life is worth living.
Can you even imagine your life without love?
I think of so many who have blessed my life by loving me, and teaching me how to love. But today I'm thinking particularly of my father-in-law, on what would have been his 68th birthday. He’s been dead for fifteen years now…dead, but not gone. Because life in this world ends, but love doesn’t. And that’s everything.
I love you, Mike.
Question for reflection: Who are the faces of love for you?
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