A Wooden Response to Real Faith

Spirituality Column #188
June 15, 2010
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

A Wooden Response to Real Faith
By Bob Walters

In the small-city, American innocence of my youth in the 1960s, it seemed that everybody went to church.

To my recollection nobody talked much about Jesus Christ but “Where do you go to church?” was a socially acceptable, non-invasive inquiry. God was at church, everyone went to church, everyone understood God was God, and God was good.

Of course, we didn’t go to church in the summer. We rode our bikes, played ball, and went swimming. We went to church during the school year.

And in school I learned that in 1776 our nation declared its independence in no small part because people “are endowed by their Creator (capital C) with certain unalienable Rights.” It made historical sense to recite daily the Pledge of Allegiance, facing the American flag as “one nation under God” (no comma).

How surprised I was to learn years later that the Pledge was relatively new (1892, Francis Bellamy), and “under God” was really new (1954, President Dwight Eisenhower). “In God We Trust” on our paper money first appeared in 1957, having been adopted officially as our national motto in July 1956.

Given that era’s bristling Cold War with the Soviet Union, the motto was a “purpose pitch” promoting American values like God and freedom. Some dismissed it as mere propaganda against godless Communism, but so what? Communism was a horrible idea, horribly applied, with horrible effect. Communism chokes individual freedom, creativity, wealth … and God.

Anyway, even today ninety percent of Americans like the motto.

So why is it that so many of us are willing, happy, even thankful, to Trust in God, while so many also blanch at any public confession of the miraculous, freeing character of redemption through the saving power of Jesus Christ?

These thoughts cross my mind when a great American like John Wooden dies. In his death, our culture reduces John Wooden’s enormous, demonstrated, lifelong, prosperous, humble faith in Jesus Christ to sports, championships and coaching.

Mercy gracious sakes.

It’s hypocrisy that all this reporting is done with an understood wink of the mass media’s eye. Everyone knows Wooden was a devout believer in Christ, and that every corner of his life witnessed to his Christian faith.

Wooden’s is what an abundant, American life in Christ is supposed to look like.

If truly “In God We Trust,” why is “Christ” so hard for so many Americans to say?

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) notes that while Wooden wasn’t shy about his faith, the media only reports on earthly rewards.

Mystery, Confusion, and Comfort

Spirituality Column #157
November 10, 2009
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

Mystery, Confusion, and Comfort
By Bob Walters

In a November 2004 email exchange with a dear friend, I wrote:

“Over the weekend, for no particular reason, I found myself contemplating God and Christ as a mystery, and locked onto thinking about the difference between confusion and mystery.

“I can see now that my spiritual life changed three years ago (after being baptized in 2001) because my relationship with God through Christ became a mystery, rather than just being confusing. I think there is a key distinction here. Confusion picks at our rational being; it is uncomfortable and something we avoid.

“Mystery, and its close sibling wonder, can hold us rationally in their limitless arms with comfort and peace even in the absence of understanding. When we pray for understanding, we should expect peace in return, not necessarily knowledge. When we pray for wisdom and discernment, we should expect greater comfort, not necessarily more answers.

“Yet, as opposed to the ‘Age of Reason,’ the ‘Age of Mystery’ doesn't sound especially appealing. It seems to require rejection of reason, which is required to live productively and ensure our human survival. Reason is God's great gift to man that makes us different from the animals. But so is spirituality a great and singular gift.

“It's a mystery to me, and I'm OK with that.”

Came the reply that evening:

“That is a mysterious email! There will always be a part of the Faith that will be a mystery to us. If we knew as much as God we would try to pull off a coup and take over. Besides, there are only a few of us who know it all. As John Wooden said, ‘It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.’ An interesting reading for you would be I Kings 3:6-14. Young Solomon pleased God by asking for a discerning heart instead of long life and wealth.

“So, God gave him understanding and wisdom with the longevity and big bucks thrown in. It is right for us to ask for the right stuff and we get more than we expected. You are certainly right in saying that mystery creates a calming effect.”

That, along with some other clever word plays and personal encouragement, was longtime Indianapolis pastor Russ Blowers, a Christian who preached the Gospel. He died two years ago today, Nov. 10, 2007.

I – and many others – miss him so.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) invites you to visit past columns about Russ (Nov. 27- Dec 25, 2007 and Nov. 11, 2008) at www.believerbob.blogspot.com. Got a Russ story? See www.russstories.blogspot.com.