Ridgell's Originals

The baseball Hall of Fame recently selected two more canidates for induction. But to me, the most interesting part of the process was the discussion of who was worthy to be considered. With the steroid controversy, there was much discussion about cheating, character, and the overall body of work. Should you get into the hall based strictly on your body of work? Did you do/produce/perform well enough? What about character issues? Gamblers are banned, and "users" are rejected. Yet there are alcoholics, racists, and adulterers in the Hall. What about character issues we do not know about? What about good guys who didn't produce quite as much?

These debates are reflective of our culture. I'll get ahead in life if I just perform well enough: wow the boss, work hard, come thru in the clutch, and outperform my compition. Or...ifI'm a good guy then that should be enough. If I'm nice enough, if my character is strong, and if I treat people right, then I am bound to come out ahead. And if I do have a character issue, be sure it stays hidden.

These attitudes creep into church and our spiritual lives. If I just do the right things, cross every T and dot every I, then I make it into heaven. If anyone ever deserved to get into heaven, it's my Mom, Dad, friend, etc. After all, they are as good a person as ever walked the earth. It's really just about the person I am, not what I do. Worship is about attitude, not actions. And on and on it goes.

God, Jesus , and the church are counter cultural. Always have been...always will be. It's not about what we do, or how good we are, or what others think. It' about God, the gift of His Son, and our decision to trust them. I can't do enough, or be good enough. So the only way any of us are getting into the only Hall of Fame that matters is to take the focus off of us and put it on the one who really does matter.

By the way...great news. God voted for you, and his is the only one that counts.