Five Positive Lessons from the 2009 Georgia Bulldogs

1. Joe Cox’s Determination- Joe Cox knows he’s not Matt Stafford, and knows he’ll never be as good as Matt Stafford. Joe Cox went through ridicule from his own fans, the media, and was even doubted by his coaching staff a few times when they announced that the backup would see playing time. I would have been very tempted to quit trying and say “Screw it, I’m not going to the NFL anyway, just put in the back-up and I’ll finish up my senior year. Then I’ll go coach somewhere and you’ll never have to see or worry about my sorry butt again.” (I seem to recall Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen doing this) Joe Cox however took the cards dealt to him and faced the reality that even though he might not be the best quarterback in the world, he was the best that UGA had and he would do his best to help his team win, no matter what. It’s not easy when everyone is telling you how somebody else does what you do better than you, or likes to remind you how many mistakes you’re making, or why you should just quit. Joe Cox I think teaches us the true meaning of determination: keeping on trying and doing your best no matter what.

2. Your biggest weaknesses can turn out to be your biggest strengths- At the beginning of the year UGA couldn’t run the ball for a yard if their collective lives depended on it. In the Arkansas game, UGA threw the ball for 220 more yards than they did passing. It seemed like whenever a running back touched the ball they’d fumble it. It seemed like coaches were ready to scrap even trying to run the ball. Then there were the penalties. Any Georgia fan can tell you that we were pretty sure our colors were red, black, and yellow this year after seeing that stupid rag on the field so much. The frustrating thing was most of these penalties were stupid false start penalties. Then Murphy’s Law hit: Mr. Everything AJ Green got hurt and UGA was forced to play as a team. The team redoubled its efforts to fight its weaknesses. At the end of the year, in one of its toughest games of the year, UGA turned its weaknesses into strengths. Against Georgia Tech the Bulldogs ran the ball for more than four times the amount of yards than they threw it and only had five penalties. Think about it, the team who couldn’t run outran a team that pretty much only runs by more than 120 yards. That’s pretty darn good.

3. The toughest circumstances bring out unlikely heroes- Georgia’s defense this past year was downright awful. They allowed for 20 or more points in all but two games against Division 1A opponents. I remember seeing some stat like they were the 119th out of 120 teams in the NCAA in scoring defense. It really was sad to watch some of those games because it seemed like frustration begat more frustration. There really wasn’t much choice but to clean house of all the defensive coaches, except for the one who is also the recruiting coordinator. Uh-oh, Georgia still had one game left to play and the only defensive coaches left were the D-line coach and two 23 year old graduate assistants. These guys had to face a team who took one of the teams in the National Championship to their breaking point a few weeks ago. Kind of like the whole “Who am I Lord, I stutter, the job is too big” stuff that Moses said during the burning bush in the desert. Rather than not show respect to these unlikely leaders, the Georgia defense played what I think was one of their best games of the year, forcing 2 key interceptions and keeping Texas A&M from getting any rhythm in the 2nd half. Take away that patty-cake touchdown A&M got in the waning minutes of the game and Georgia would have held them to below 20 points. Not bad for a couple of 23 year olds and the next to worst defense in the land. Not bad at all.

4. When times are bleakest, people remember what’s really important- He wasn’t moving. For what seemed like forever Bacarri Rambo just layed there and you could have heard a pin drop in Sanford Stadium. Flash back: Auburn was driving the ball and looked like they were about to tie the game up right after Georgia finally took the lead. On a second down play from the 23 yard line Auburn’s QB threw a ball the landed in the hands of their receiver for about a half a second until Rambo lived up to his name’s sake and unloaded on the guy, forcing the ball to shoot out. He saved the game, but sacrificed his body. When Rambo was lying on the field I just stood there with a pit in my stomach thinking about Chance Veazey, the Georgia baseball player who is now paralyzed after a car accident. Then from the student section the chant “Rambo, Rambo, Rambo!” started. These were the same fans who booed their team earlier in the 1st half. I was pretty surprised, but kind of made a connection after the game was over. A lot of folks think my brother and I argue a good bit. But I’ll tell you one thing, if chips were ever down and I needed something I know my brother would be the first person there and he knows I would be there for him. When the elementary school bully picked on Tad, I beat the mess out of him. When I dealt with sadness and anger I didn’t think was even possible, Tad was there as long as I needed. We may fuss about stupid stuff like whether the Avett Brothers are good or when the proper time to play the ukulele/ harmonica is (not the middle of the night), but I love my big brother more than anyone else in the world and I know he loves me too. (yea, yea go grab a tissue)

5. Finish the Drill- It’s always been Mark Richt’s motto. It started from the grueling spring workouts the team goes through when the toughest part is at the end. That was certainly the case for this Georgia team. At the end of the year a game against Kentucky at home is supposed to be a cake walk, and it looked like it was going to be. 20-6 at half-time and we were just rolling along. Chase and I were even thinking about leaving the game after the 3rd quarter if we kept it up. Alas, the turnover demons reared their ugly heads on the Dawgs four times in the 2nd half, including one time on the one yard line when a touchdown seemed a definite. Georgia loses by a touchdown. If you’d told any football follower in the Peach State that Georgia had a chance against the top 10 ranked Nerds from North Ave. they probably would’ve laughed their butts off. The team didn’t give up though. With more swagger than a Soulja Boy song, Washaun Ealey and Caleb King decided they “They ran this state” and they were going to make sure we all knew. They ran all over the nerds and left them in the dust sucking on their inhalers. Willie Martinez knew it would be his final game as a UGA coach, as evidenced by the tears as time expired. But his squad put on a heck of a performance stopping the previous year’s ACC player of the year. Then Georgia followed that game up with what I consider the best all-around team performance of the year against a solid Texas A&M team. My lasting memory of the season will no longer be the disappointing walk back to Chase’s apartment after the Kentucky game. It will be the dancing after the Auburn game, the yellow turf in Ben Jones’ mouth after the Tech game, and Mark Richt surrounding himself with police as the bowl game ended to avoid the Powerade bath. The Dawgs ended with two gritty wins, and against all odds solidified the longest streak of any team in country of 13 years in a row with at least 8 wins.

Of course I would prefer to win every game. Duh, as I always say, winning is just more fun than losing. But I’m a Georgia fan, and I’ll still pull for a team that’s 8-5 even if others aren’t. It sounds cheesy, but I really did learn a lot from this team that didn’t have an all-star to start this year like they did last year, as evidenced by the team poster with the whole team on it. Sure we lost to Florida again. Sure losing poor UGA VII stunk big time. Sure I would have preferred Stafford and Knowshon to have stayed. But I’m still proud of the school I go to and I’ll be cheering on the Diamond Dogs in two months, the soccer girls on next fall, and football team next fall (those are my teams at school). Frankly, I don’t really care who wins the rest of the bowl games this year. I like Georgia better and nothing is going to change that. So there’s a non-political post, I hope you’re all proud. As the song goes, “Once a Dawg, always a Dawg, how sweet it is!”

Christian and Liberal? A (very) brief response

Recently I had a good friend question why I felt the way I do concerning society and politics. My friend asked the reasons for having a 'liberal' ideology in view of a few of the hot-button issues that dot the political landscape for Christians. The question was posed in good faith, honesty, and genuine questioning with no insinuation or implication. This is a great friend and a great Christian who just wanted to know. Though my response was brief and I plan on expanding it into a sort of manifesto in the future, I thought it would be fair to share at least a portion of why I feel the way I do. I hope everyone had a great year and is having a happy holiday season. I'll break into my response after the more personal portion of the email.
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What’s ironic is that while you see a divide in me being a Christian and a liberal, I see myself as a liberal because I am a Christian. (Note: I am a Christian first, no politician or political belief can change that) I guess I’ll run through the issues as to why I support the party I do, but let me preface it by saying that all boiled down it doesn't really matter to me who is in charge of our country. Romans 13 tells me that every governing authority is established by God. Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and whoever else are going to have to bow just as low as I am one day, so while I’m interested in politics, it doesn’t consume me. I’m a Christian who happens to support Barack Obama, not a Barack Obama supporter who happens to be a Christian. If Paul could write Romans 13 and in view of a government that was literally torturing Christians, I feel ashamed that at the level of anger expressed by Christians in view of politics in America because of earthly things like taxes.

So why am I a liberal? This won’t be an exhaustive list by any means; that would be a book. To get the typical Christian “hot-button issues” out of the way I’ll let you read my blog posts on positions on gay marriage and abortion at my blog. They’re both defended and my reasoning is given there. First- the liberal emphasis on caring for and improving the lives of the least among us. I firmly believe that Jesus did not ONLY come to this Earth to tell how great heaven is going to be and leave this world a mess of sin (Matt 25 is a firm example of this). We can also see that one of the first reactions the church had upon formation was to give to anyone who had need (Acts 2:45) Because I see combating poverty as the mission of Jesus, I feel compelled to make it my mission as well, and will accordingly support politicians who also make that their mission. Conservative philosophy, particularly in the past 40 years, has been tax breaks for the wealthiest among us and increases on taxes for the low and middle class. This has been proven to not have the “trickle-down” effect former Pres. Reagan so eagerly claimed. I don’t find this to be a “radical philosophy.” Consider the government that God himself established: the kingdom of Israel. Leviticus 19:9-10 tells the wealthy not to harvest all of their grapes, but to leave to leave those on the corners for the poor. Also, consider the grain that Ruth was picking from the edge of the field left by wealthy landowners. Did these poor people deserve this? Of course not, God compelled the blessed among Israel to give to the poor, and he made it a part of governmental law. As a Christian, I support government officials who do the same.
My view on poverty leads to #2: Healthcare. The fact that every American doesn’t have access to healthcare to me just isn't right. People are suffering, and I just don't understand why we're letting it happen. As of 2005 the US spent more than any country in the world on healthcare as a portion of our GDP (15.4%) but according the World Health Organization we rank 37th in the quality of healthcare provided (behind countries like Morocco, United Arab Emirates, and Costa Rica to name a few). So not only are we paying more than anyone, not only are we not getting the best quality of care, we're leaving the least among us behind. I just can't picture Jesus thinking this is ok. Both bills proposed by liberals in the House of Reps and the Senate provide greater coverage to Americans AND lower the national debt, something I know many on the Right are rightfully concerned with. I could go on more here but I think you see how I see this as pretty much the same as issue my view on poverty.
#3- Justice for all of people made in the image of God. I know I've written a lot already so I'll try to bullet point this one. Over the past 50 years the conservative movement has fought equal civil rights for blacks by fighting integration of schools, equal rights for women by opposing things like equal pay for equal work in the work place, supported TORTURING people to try to glean information (imagine if the early church had tortured the Roman soldiers or the Jewish leaders who crucified Jesus), inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants(Exodus 22:21-23) , etc. I just can't see things like this in the Bible. Look at the Sermon on the Mount, what a set of scriptures devoted to social justice! Blessed are the merciful, let your light shine before men (not talking about preaching the gospel here, he's passionately talking about how we treat others as he talked about in verses 1-11), turn the other cheek, go two miles even when you shouldn't have had to go one, and love your enemies. I feel like these scriptures compel me to vote for leaders who best support these views. (Keeping in mind of course that no politician or any human for that matter is perfect)
There are many more issues I could go on and on about but I think you probably see where I'm coming from. I understand how passionately conservatives view things like abortion, and hopefully after reading my blog post on the subject you can see that I want the same inherent thing as you do, I just have a different means to go about achieving that goal. I understand that my views are pretty different than a lot of folks in our area, but in all sincerity I'm doing the best I can to do what I read the message of the gospel to be. I realize these views are pretty radical, I mean at first thought I have many of the viewpoints of the conservative movement (believe it or not I actually volunteered on Bush's reelection campaign and worked for Republican State Sen. Jeff Mullis and Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's campaigns. It's true, I'm a recovering conservative!). I just finally had to realized that these views espoused by these men and others in the party weren't what I was reading. All that being said its a very fair assesment that I don't agree with everything put forward by the liberal movement. I also don't like everything that the elders decide at my church, but I support our elders completely and don't have a problem identifying myself with this church. Like I said though, my allegiance to any political party or even our country for that matter pales in comparison to my faith in Jesus Christ.

Gay Marriage and Why BOTH Sides Miss the Point

Frankly, this issue ticks me off for a couple of reasons. It is meant to divide people and hurt others, from both sides. (I.e. people attacking the Miss California candidate for expressing her opinion) So often these debates don’t even look for a solution, they just turn into a circle of “You love sin, you’re going to Hell you pinko liberal” and “You’re a religious nut, why don’t you go hunting with Dick Cheney.” This doesn’t help anything and rolls over the problem. Also because, namely the Right, thinks that disagreement is equal to damnation and equates opponents to murderers and rapists. (You know the whole Sodom and Gomorrah stuff?) Even tonight, just before I wrote this, someone I don’t even know implored me “Not to die tonight,” implying I was going to Hell. Let’s get through the Sodom and Gomorrah junk before I express my views and solution: Let’s be careful not to equate what was going on in these two Biblical cities and America. First, those were places where God could LITERALLY find no good. I know there is bad stuff in this world, but there’s also a lot of good stuff going on in America too. If you would like proof, I'd love to invite you, just for a few things to click HERE or HERE, to see that we are not and will never be Sodom and Gomorrah.Second, those folks were at the point of breaking doors down to rape people. America is not, and will not ever be there. We’re a nation of laws and most importantly, rights that protect people, no matter what you believe.

Let me state my background. I’m a Christian first, bar none, no apologies. Anyone who would like to question my faith, I really don’t care. I recall certain Jewish leaders doing the same thing. That being said, if America makes laws that don’t coincide with what my Lord says, I really don’t care. Remember, I’m a Christian first, and last time I checked, even the president of this land will one day be forced to bow at the knee of THE King. Second, I believe in equal rights for all, even if I don’t agree with them. America was founded on the belief that all men (and women) were created equal with certain inalienable rights. Nowhere in the Declaration do I see distinctions of creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. I see the same respect from my Savior. Certainly, Jesus hated sin. So do I. However, I don’t recall Jesus attempting to make sins illegal in the Roman Empire. He had bigger fish to fry, and so do I. Jesus made it clear his mission was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) His last command to his followers was to do the same, and to teach others to obey his teachings, not force them making it the law of the land.

Now that there is that background, I’ll state my opinion and solution. The reality of this debate, and why so many neo-conservative Christians, as well as pro-gay marriage liberals miss the point is they argue about the definition of marriage. The problem with this is inherent. One of the first premises of debate is to agree on what is acceptable as fact. Without that, understanding can not be made. Neo-cons look to the Bible for their definition, which is perfectly acceptable. However, pro-gay marriage couples don’t always accept this as fact, killing the debate before it starts and turning it in to the equivalent of an ideological squabble.

The core of what this debate should truly be about is equal rights, not about whether I or anyone else believes homosexuality is right or wrong. Since America’s first sentence, equal rights was the striving goal. Though our country has failed over and over in this struggle, the continual effort of our land has been to spread the equality for all. This means not only protecting one’s ability to perform his/her way of life, but also protecting one from being coerced into living another’s chosen way of life. Oftentimes, this means we disagree on issues. For example, I think multiple body piercings are gross. Those ear gauge things literally make me sick to my stomach. Heck, I can even come up with reasons why I think it is wrong for people to have them. I must respect their right to practice their way of life however, even if I disagree. This takes form in many issues, from the Pledge of Allegiance to school prayer to, you guessed it, gay people wanting to be married.

The reality is that almost all gay marriage opponents deplore the idea because they believe it to be sinful. Since homosexuals disagree with the premise of “sin,” the debate will go nowhere. Therefore, both sides will also disagree on what “marriage” is. Is marriage something ordained by God, or is it simply a joining of two human beings who care for each other for the sake of insurance, medical, and tax reasons. (No, this isn’t what I think marriage is) The mistake made is that the State is dabbling in some believe is a religious issue and what others believe is a purely secular issue.

So how do we solve this issue by giving everyone equal rights under the law, while still respecting what each group inherently believes? Here’s how: you look at what both sides desire and see how to give each group what they want. Homosexuals aren’t seeking the Judeo-Christian God’s blessing on their relationship; they want equal rights. Most Christians, though they may disagree with homosexuals having marriage rights, aren’t looking to make being gay illegal; they simply want the preservation of what they believe is a sacred institution blessed by God. Solution: Take the definition of marriage out of the hands of the U.S. Government and give it back to God Almighty who ordained it in the first place. My solution is that the United States government pass the Domestic Partnership Initiative, which replaces the term “marriage” with “domestic partnership” throughout federal law. If churches wish to grant “marriages” then that’s fantastic. (That’s what I want one of these days because that’s what my God ordained) This legislation, already introduced in California by the Attorney General, is intended to provide equal rights to all without offending or intruding on those who believe marriage contains religious significance. This bill also prevents the prevailing fear among the religious community that a pastor be legally required to perform a “marriage” to gay couples whether he believes it correct or not. This bill in my opinion empowers people of faith with the definition of marriage they truly believe in, rather than trying to mesh Godly truth and U.S. law.

Let me again reiterate, I’m a Christian, end of story. Whatever law my country makes, whoever is elected to the highest office in the land, and however much I may hate what either may do, my God reigns supreme without their permission, no matter what they say. When Jesus said to “render to Caesar what his Caesar’s and God what is God’s,” that wasn’t just about money. It involves our FULL allegiance and our trust. My trust is in God, and frankly I don’t really care what my country has to say about that or what laws they make giving others more rights or so on and so forth. Rather than complain about homosexuals trying to change the definition of marriage, let’s take the term out of the argument, since that is what God talks about. My hope is that this bill passes in California and soon becomes federal law, because I am sick and tired of Christians fretting more about whether gay people call themselves married, and not focusing on souls that just might be open to hearing about a Savior.

Is the Dream Realized?

First of all, I want to say thanks to the well wishers from mine and Jackson's trip to the inauguration. I'll get pictures and stories up soon. It was the trip of a lifetime and the memories won't soon be forgotten. I've never been more proud to be American and especially am proud of my generation for setting aside arguing in favor of solutions.

So in all of this unity and hope good stuff that's been going around I've been thinking about what divides us as Americans, and specifically where I live. Standing at the concert last Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, the place where Dr. King marched and where Marian Anderson sang, I was reminded of the tough times when our nation has had to come together because of the color of someones skin. A war centered around whether someone could be owned, a man who wished his kids could be looked at equally, and a woman who couldn't use the gift God gave her because she was black. What a waste! What an un-Christian, un-American, and useless prejudice to think that someone is unworthy of God's love and human decency because of their skin color. Or let's get real about the modern face of bigotry: THE LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK. THE GOD THEY PRAY TO. THE PERSON THEY CHOOSE TO LOVE. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY MAKE.

Upon returning home from what I consider the "North," I was reminded that there is progress yet to be made. Seeing someone's facebook profile referring to the swearing in of our President as an "iniggeration." Listening to a friend of a friend talk about how Obama wouldn't win a second term because "he'd get shot by then" and that "Bobby Jindal would win next time because he's colored and they can't tell the difference." It makes me sad. Look, I realize that folks aren't going to like all or even any of Obama's policies, that's why we have political parties. But to wish death upon the father of two little girls? The leader (like it or not) of our country? How juvenile, and frankly how sinful. Remember Naaman, the Syrian ruler who was at first willing to live with leprosy because of he was so caught up in his sense of nationalism and pride that he didn't want to dip in the Jordan River? Or the one we all remember- the Good Samaritan.

My question remains this- Where are God's people when all of this is happening? Rather than looking at the plight of people who can't afford healthcare, members of Congress (yes you too DEMOCRATIC REP. JIM MARSHALL) voted against a children's healthcare bill because he was afraid Mexican kids might get taken care of. Newsflash: THEY'RE PEOPLE. Should we just let them sit at the door of the hospital while the rest of the entitled walk past to get our treatment, perhaps flipping a bill their direction as we think "lazy bums." Gee, I recall Jesus talking about a man who was in that situation, who had no stock in a random foreigner's well being. "Ah but that doesn't apply here Ryan, that's an individual call." Yea, individuals like the Priest and the Levite, both members of the Jewish man's religion and nationality. What if the foreigner, ahem excuse me, Samaritan, had stopped to think "Hmmm, now I feel bad for the dude, but honestly, he's from a different country and all, and I pay too many taxes to take care of folks in Samaria as it is, geez that's just unfortunate." Didn't happen like that though, and I don't think it should here in America either.

Thank God that there are rays of hope. Like the good folks in Nashville who defeated a bill that would have cut public funding for interpreters of non-English speaking residents (ya, the legals). Great Christian non-profits like World Vision who are sponsoring THIS PROGRAM IN ATHENS, GA, to let American Christians know what the life of a child with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is really like. I guess my call is to let the love and mercy that God has shown us usurp all political platitudes and for us to rise above our (yes, ME too) selfishness and just love folks. I think we've made the Good Samaritan story into something we read as kids, and forget that this message was to us big folks too. And the tough part of the story is that the Samaritan never got his money back. Ouch. Spending hard earned cash on a foreigner whose country hates you, and then not even saying "Hey man, I'm willing to help you out, but uh my name is John Doe and I really do have a family of my own that is struggling just as much as yours and I really can't afford all of this. How can I reach your family about how to pay for all of this?" Whoa. So I guess my final question is the same as Jesus': Who is our neighbor? The illegal immigrant? The kid whose school was hit by a bomb in Gaza? These guys? Hey, maybe even the guy who wrote this.

I think I learned it best in Sunday School, "Red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in His sight."God bless all of you guys, and may we continue to strive toward the Dream. Thanks for reading folks.