Asterisk

I would imagine whether you follow baseball or not, you have heard of Barry Bonds. For the past couple of years he has been chasing history while history has been chasing him. While Bonds was in pursuit of baseball's career home run record, investigators have been pursuing Bonds. This past summer, Bonds caught the record. Yesterday, the prosecutors caught Bonds.

Ever since Bonds broke the home run record, there has been talk of an asterisk. A mark designating Bonds broke the record by breaking the rules. A mark that states he hit many of those home runs while using performance-enhancing substances. Yesterday's indictment for lying to a grand jury can do nothing but further stain his legacy.

Many baseball fans decry Bonds for cheating. A lot of people will say Bonds finally got what he deserved, and maybe they are right.

But how many of us as followers of Jesus put an asterisk after our names every day? How often do we engage in behaviors, make comments, and do things that cause people to question our dedication to our calling?

Don't think for a minute I am expecting anyone to be perfect or earn their standing in God's eyes. But on the other hand, what we do and say matters. It doesn't matter as much for our salvation as it does for the salvation of others.

Our words and actions make an impact. They can shape someone's view of God. They can shape someone's view of you. They can shape someone's view of themselves.

I believe that God calls us first and foremost to be people who live without sin in our lives. That means we treat people fairly, look out for their interests more than our own, and live lives of purity. We strive to do that, but we are a fallen people who don't always get it right.

This is where the other half of the equation comes into play. How do we react when we sin? Do we act self-righteous to cover it up? Do we point to other people's sins to take the attention off of our own mistakes? Do we act like everything is fine? Do we commit more sins to hide our embarrassment or frustration?

Or, are we willing to step up to the plate and face our shortcomings? Are we willing to admit our faults, ask for forgiveness, and be vulnerable?

I would argue that for most Christians, our asterisks come from the times we attempt to cover up our own sinfulness. In our moments of weakness we can tend to look like the hypocrites the world often accuses us of being.

Let's get real with the world. Let's be willing to admit we are imperfect people striving to be more like the perfect Son whom we follow. Let's remove the asterisks from our life by being transparent and living out our journey for all to see.

Maybe if we are willing to get real with the world, they will be willing to get real with us.

If Barry Bonds had been upfront from the beginning, his story would have probably turned out much differently.

If we can be upfront, maybe ours will too.

shine!
Jason