Letters to the Editor: Mike Pound column

SO, I need to confess that sometimes I read something and it just chaps my hide a bit. Like this morning, for instance. I read a column by Joplin Globe columnist Mike Pound that really got under my skin, and, probably to my detriment, I HAD to respond. Did I respond inappropriately? Perhaps. But definitely not as inappropriately as in my first draft, which included words like 'fool,' 'idiot,' and 'stupid.' The column appeared in today's paper under the headline, "Hopes Dashed By Matt's One-liner." It was also available online. I've copied it here, and the response I submitted is below.

Globe columnist
I’m disappointed with Matt Blunt.

I thought he was different. I thought he was better than all the other politicians who have decided not run for re-election. And he was — at first.

When the story first broke that Matt didn’t want to be governor anymore, I was hopeful that we were seeing history in the making. For the first time, I thought, we had a politician who was not going to run for re-election because he said he had accomplished everything he had set out to accomplish. Later, he said he didn’t want to be governor anymore because he lost his mission.

I liked those reasons for no longer wanting to be governor. I was proud of Matt for saying those things. I was proud of Matt for going out on his own terms. For being his own governor who didn’t want to be governor. In effect, Matt was standing up and saying: “I don’t care what past governors who no longer wanted to be governor said. I don’t want to be governor because I got all my work done.”

Downright inspiring is what it was.

Then my hopes were dashed. Then my faith in Matt was destroyed. My faith was destroyed by one little line in an Associated Press story explaining why else Matt didn’t want to be governor anymore: He also said he wanted to spend more time with his wife, Melanie, and 2-year-old son, Branch.

Darn it, Matt, you were so close. You were so close to being my hero. So close to being someone that I would be proud to see go on to higher public offices. But no, you had to ruin everything. You had to say you were not running so you could spend more time with your family.

See, Matt, everyone who quits says he wants to spend more time with the family. It’s the verbal equivalent of checking into rehab. Not that I’m suggesting that you need to check into rehab. I’m just saying that just about anyone who decides to quit a job because of some sort of scandal quits and then immediately checks into rehab. Not that I’m saying you’re quitting because of some sort of scandal. I’m just saying I wish you hadn’t said you were quitting to spend more time with your family.

I don’t mean to criticize here, but if you really wanted to spend more time with your family, I’m thinking you probably shouldn’t have been governor in the first place. Matt, did you talk to any of the other governors before you decided you wanted to be governor? Did you ask any of the other governors if they got to spend a lot of time with their families?

See, I would have.

The thing is, Matt, I loved your original reasons for not wanting to be governor. I think basically saying “Well, citizens, my work here is done” is something the Lone Ranger would say. The only thing cooler than you saying “Well, citizens, my work here is done” would have been if you had hopped on your fiery white steed and galloped away with a hearty “Hi-ho, Silver.”

But no, you had to ruin it. You had to have the Lone Ranger say, “Well, citizens, I am taking off my mask so I can spend more time with Tonto.” Not that I’m suggesting that you wear a mask. I’m just saying I liked your first reasons for not wanting to be governor.

Matt, I had high hopes for you. When you said you didn’t want to be governor anymore because you had done everything you wanted to do, I was moved almost to tears. Matt, I dared to dream that one day, you would go on to decide you didn’t want to be vice president of the United States.

But you ruined that dream for me, Matt. You ruined it with that one little sentence in that AP story.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to stop now. I need to go home and spend more time with my family.

My response:

Mike Pound's column disparaging Gov. Blunt's reasons for leaving office was sad. I was surprised and offended that he would so easily criticize a public servant who has done so much in so short a time. Pound sounded arrogant and ignorant all at once. Perhaps that wasn't his intent, but that's the way the article read. It sounded like an attack on family values, and that, more than anything, doesn't belong in print.

You can do better than that Mr. Pound. As a columnist you have a voice most of us don't. To use it so negatively is a betrayal of your talent, an affront to your readers, and a black mark on your own character record. Governor Blunt is ending his term of public service with honor and integrity. Will you?

The Supremacy of Theology in Christian Living.

Theology. There is nothing more significant in the Christian life. Yet I hear an entire generation of young believers pooh poohing the importance of it. They are reckless, and ignorant, and dangerous. When forced to actually listen to it in a sermon that emphasizes sound doctrine, they often complain. A typical comment I read recently said, "I will go on under the impression that if I am in the word, if I am caring for the needs of others, and if I live to glorify God in what I do, that God will use me." (It saddened me to realize that it was the concluding remark of a particularly honest debate of a relevant theological issue.) This after a backhanded slap at those who choose the serious endeavor of a seminary education.

Let us not forget that the Holy Spirit used the ivory tower to reveal and develop most of the theology we take blithely for granted. We MUST exercise caution. The most dangerous zealots and cults in Christendom all say, "I'm just gonna do what the Bible says," without spending the time to understand the faith they claim. Let us not forget that Jehovah's Witnesses "believe what the Bible says," and Mormons, "Believe what the Bible says." Branch Davidians (David Koresh), People's Temple (Jim Jones), and Christian Science Church (Mary Baker Eddy) are all examples of 'Christian teaching' that one is powerless to refute if one's deepest theological inklings are limited to 'I believe what the Bible says.'

I'm worn out by this generation that is so desperate for authentic Christian living that it shuns authentic Christian thinking. Their passion for doing good works is unparalleled, but so is their desire to leave behind the modern church. "Love God, hate the church?" Is a remarkably successful marketing strategy because not since the Mayflower landed has a group of Americans been so quick to leave behind the past in an effort to change the future. My deepest fear is that they will succeed.

In their mad rush to reclaim theology (what theology even they can't articulate) and create a new church, they neglect the hard-earned lessons of two-thousand years of solid Christian thinking. It is as if they believe that they and they alone have a clear understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit (which they haven't actually studied, but read a cool verse about last week!) They would like to begin anew with orthopraxy, instead of orthodoxy, not realizing that to do so is not only impractical, but foolish.

They speak of tolerance, spoon-fed to them from birth by a liberal-secular establishment bent on erasing moral boundaries at all costs, as if it was the only value that mattered. They view it as essential to true Christian Living. Sadly, they fail completely to understand how devilishly simple the trap is that they spring on themselves when they believe such drivel. Tolerance? Tolerance of what? Poor fashion sense? Bad driving? Taxes? Smoking? Drug abuse? Homosexuality? Religious opinion? Adultery? Child-molestation? Poverty? Murder? War? Where do we draw the line? Without THEOLOGY, no one knows. But to this generation, that doesn't seem to be important. What is important to them is that we all just get along. (Conveniently ignoring the fact that seven billion autonomous individuals aren't likely to do so without rigid enforcement: Tolerance Police!) They claim that tolerance is somehow related to love and respect, and they fear above all else that they will be labeled 'judgmental,' and they are willing to compromise Truth to prove it.

Theology is the framework though which we define God. And you can cringe at the idea that anyone as frail as a human being would attempt to define God, but that ignores the fact that we do it all the time AND WERE CREATED TO DO SO!

"Jesus is Lord." Say it, and you have defined God.

"God is omniscient." Say it, and you have defined God.

"God is not omniscient." Say it, and you have defined God.

"Lord, help me, please." Pray it, and you have revealed to us all that you are guilty of defining God as one who has the power to A) Hear prayer, B) Understand your plea, and C) Respond.

Theology, to put it personally, is your attempt to comprehend God. And it is that understanding that will frame the way you live your life. Perhaps we should stop whining and start thinking and talking and debating theology. After all, we all have an opinion of God, an idea, an understanding, a definition... a theology. And wouldn't it be nice if that theology was grounded in reality, truth, logic?

Shall we (the followers of Jesus) elevate 'tolerance' to the status of moral virtue? Tough question. A question with real theological implications. The Bible may be shallow enough for the smallest child to swim in, but it is deep enough to drown an Olympic swimmer as well. In the words of Philip Yancey, "“We dare not confine theology to seminary coffee shops where professors and students play mental badminton. It affects all of us.” This generation is bent on the elevation of 'Christian living.' What is "Christian living" if not applied theology? As for me, "I just believe what the Bible says."

BBWAA and the HOF

Yeah, today is the New Hampshire primary, and that should probably concern me more, but since I don't live there, can't vote there, and know that results aren't in yet, I'm going to write about Major League Baseball instead. Actually, I'm going to write about the Baseball Writers Association of America. You see, this year they voted Goose Gossage into the Hall of Fame, which was good. A smart choice. But they made it fairly clear that they're planning on keeping Mark McGwire out, which is just ignorant. More writers voted for Tim Raines than Mark McGwire? I'm sorry, but that is ridiculous. Stupid. They seem bent on proving that in America you are guilty until proven innocent. Now that the Mitchell report is out I suppose they'll vote against Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and any other Major Leaguer unfortunate enough to be born in the 1960's. As with Bonds, there is not one single piece of evidence proving that McGwire did 'roids, other than personal testimony a former teammate or trainer, but hey, idiots, don't a lack of hard evidence stop you! 'Roids or not, McGwire and Sosa, put the game back on the national map. By themselves. In amazing, inspiring, heart-warming fashion. Their single season and career accomplishments are unquestionably first-ballot worthy. Now, however, their HOF fate is in the hands of a group of men who couldn't hit a fastball with a tennis raquet. Probably never could. Its almost as if they (the writers) want the game to diminish.

At the end of the day, there is no physical evidence that McGwire did steroids. Not one used needle, not one wadded up receipt, not one empty vial. Only his word that he did not, and someone else's that he did. The whole thing boils down to a lot of finger pointing, and the BBWAA have apparently decided that anyone caught up in the court of public opinion must be banished from the Hall before they get there. Asinine! (That means "utterly stupid" for you BBWAA members who might somehow stumble upon this). SHAME ON YOU! You seemed so much more intelligent before you voted.

Hey, if I accused Peter Gammons of using steroids, do you think they'd take his vote away? Gosh, wouldn't that feel good?!

NCAA Football: A sport without a champion III

I'd just like to take a moment now to point out that as Louisiana State University is celebrating their victory tonight over Ohio State in the BCS 'championship' game, that the National Collegiate Athletic Association has still not awarded a championship to any school for the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Nor will it. Sorry LSU. Not that you're not worthy (although that is questionable), but the NCAA plaque awarded for every other recognized sport will not be handed out to you or anyone else. Why? Because there's too much money at $take. That's all... So while the confetti is still streaming and the state of Louisiana is reveling in an amazing drunken debauchery to celebrate, just keep in mind that the crystal trophy you cherish so much came from Sears. Oh well.

Hey, at least they're honest about it. They used to lie and call it a schedule issue: too much time, too many games. Then they added Conference Championships, a twelfth regular season game, pre-season kick-off games, and realized that even Forest Gump wasn't buying that crap. Pathetic.

How long, oh Lord

How long, oh Lord, will you keep me in the Midwest?

That is the question that haunts my conscience every time I visit Oregon. I am a creation of the Northwest, of Oregon, and that is where I belong. I feel at times like an exile, like Ezekiel, a prophet of old, crying out in the wilderness. My heart yearns for tall mountains, clear streams and Douglas Fir. I miss pine trees and rain and moss. I miss home.

But Joplin is where You have called me, and I will not resist Your call. These are Your people too, and they need Your word, Your love, Your Son. I have taken a wife from the Midwest, whose heart is here, who's needs are my needs, and who's dreams are my dreams. And to her I will remain faithful. She is the love of my life, more beautiful than the Cascade mountains, more refreshing than the waterfalls that flow through the mountains of my home, steadier than the Ponderosa pines reaching for the sky in the forests of my true home. She is the love of my life, and to her I will remain faithful.

She is a child of the Midwest, to her family I will remain true.

You have blessed me to serve Your purposes in the Midwest, and I have seen Your mighty hand pouring out blessing around me. To You I will be faithful, oh Lord, for Your purposes are higher than mine, Your plan more perfect, Your desires more pure. To You, oh Lord, will I cling, in the wilderness of life.

How long, oh Lord, will you keep me in the Midwest?

Fantasy Football

How sad that I don't have anything moreinteresting to write about...

In my first foray into fantasy football in more than a decade, I managed to do fairly well. I finished 56th out of 35,308 participants in Facebook. Total score 1334.57, as if that matters. Anyway, its a small thing, and I'm not sure I want to do it again, but its nice to know that when I talk about football, I am apparently not a complete idiot. And, yes, I won the BSU league, handily beating all 12 opponents. Why am I even blogging about this? Pathetic. I need to get a life.

Not so famous, not so last, words

As is sometimes the case with all men, my thoughts occassionally turn to my own mortality. Here is something I wrote on my iPhone on a recent trip to Oregon. Perhaps it was inspired by the turbulence of the flight, perhaps by a bad burrito, I don't know. Its not meant to be morbid, only a note the the future. I don't have a death wish, don't obsess over dying and do not, to my knowledge, have anything physically wrong with me. In fact, I'd like to live to be a hundred and twenty. I am, however, alert to the fact that such will not likely be the case, and as man knows not his time, here's a thought for those who follow, those I love...

Time comes for all men, and now it has come for me. Even as I pen these words I am cognizant of the fact that the Lord Most High has smiled on my life. If you are reading this after I have passed on, know that He smiles still.

I have done my best to life fully, abundantly, and though not perfect, it has been amazing. I have loved my family— Mandi, Alyssa, Nate, and Anna—with the hope that regardless of what their future holds, they will know that I am for them. I have all too often served myself and stand awestruck that God has allowed me the privilege of serving Him as He has. Like John Paul Jones, I regret that I have but one life to give.

What purpose my death may serve, God alone knows, but this one thing I know: God's purposes are always good, even when the frailty of human intellect fails to perceive them. May God bless and keep you as He has me, lo, these rich years of my life. Amen.