Barry Bonds hits home run 756 and the man who caught the ball, Matt Murphy, finds value. On the Today Show this morning Matt Lauer made the comment that this would change his life. Why is it that as a culture we find value in everyone else’s accomplishments? I think it was Tony Robbins (yes the guy with the really big smile and the even bigger hands) who brought this point up recently, that as Americans we fill ourselves up with other people’s dreams and accomplishments instead of actually accomplishing something ourselves. People desperately seek to be connected to history whether it be a piece of coal from the Titanic kept in a display case, an autograph, or some piece of history, many people find their value in what others accomplish.
As Christians we find our value in someone else’s accomplishments. Jesus lived and died for us and he invites us into the kingdom of God. We don’t connect ourselves to this event through memorabilia, autographs, or pieces of the cross. We are connected with him. It is our identity. It is who we are. We are also connected with a particular point in history as we reenact his death, burial, and resurrection through baptism. His accomplishment, defeating death, brings our lives meaning. Barry Bonds may end up in the hall of fame some day (who knows) but he can’t have Matt Murphy inducted with him just because he caught the record breaking ball. Barry Bond’s accomplishments are not Matt’s accomplishments. We, on the other hand, have been united with Christ and we will go with him into glory but not for our glory, for his.
0 Responses
That is really good on many fronts.
Thanks for sharing it.
Matt,
Personally I don’t think it should count if all the other records he was on steriods. Just my oppinion. Good post as always.
Maybe all of this wanting to share in someone else’s accomplishments is the result of our post-Christian, post-modern culture seeking someway to fill the void left by its denial of the true sharing in Jesus Christ…Maybe…
You can tell much about a culture by what it values. I have come to the conclusion that you can tell what ours values by looking at magazine covers- and that is sad.
Thanks for directing us to what God values. That is all that will matter in the end.
I like this one—I do think that many times “valuable” can be bought if the price is right. It may have be worth more now than it will be when he is desperate.
sadly the same can be said for most of what we “value”
peace
neva
Hmmm … people desperately trying to connect to history … I thought immediately of Pope John Paul’s funeral … I saw a bit on the television and was shocked at how many people were just taking pics of the event … they had completely lost the fact that they were there to celebrate and remember the life of a man and were caught up in snapshotting the fact that they were at a moment in history.
Thoughtful post!