The Anatomy of Character - Part Deux

19th century British poet Thomas Babington Macaulay wrote, "The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out."

As I watched the press conference of Yankees outfielder Alex Rodriguez today, I wrestled with several thoughts. A-Rod, who recently admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs early in his career, began the press conference by reading a prepared statement and admitting that he made a “stupid mistake.” Later on, during a time of Q & A, one reporter asked A-Rod if he would have come forward if Sports Illustrated had not revealed his steroid use. A-Rod responded, “I haven’t thought about that much…” At this point, A-Rod’s apology sounded less like, “I’m sorry I did it” and more like, “I’m sorry I got caught”.

As I watched A-Rod field questions, I began to think about the subjects of character, integrity, and repentance. As a follower of Christ, these are the standards by which I measure my growth as a man.

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever held something hot in your hand? You know, like when you take something out of the microwave to move to the counter and it's so hot that you have to let it go? To me, this is what sin is like. It burns deep and the longer we try to hold onto it the more we get burned, so we have to let it go. We realize the quicker we let it go, the less damage we do. If we have experienced true repentance, we remember the burn and know better than to pick it up next time. We are sincerely humbled by the experience.

However, to not recognize or feel the burn until someone says that your flesh is falling off is just plain self-destructive. This is the opposite of repentance. If we don’t feel the pain or recognize the damage of what we are doing, until another person points it out, we have deeper issues.

Men of true character and integrity, honestly grieve the mistakes they make, not because they were revealed, but because they understand the damage that it's caused. In addition, they learn from such mistakes and use the point of repentance as a building block in the transformation of character.


2 CORINTHIANS 7:10 (NLT)
“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”

MATTHEW 3:8 (NLT)
“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.”

America's Game

Walt Whitman once wrote, ""I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game."

As a kid, the baseball diamond was my sanctuary. The world just seemed right as the sunlight of the summer days seemed to proclaim freedom from the mundane. As I would enter the hallowed grounds of my heroes, I once again felt hopeful and blissful. My heart would beat with anticipation as the 'boys of summer' would take the field and play, simply...for the love of the game.

Over the past several years, America's game has been tarnished. The diamond darkened by the shadows of greed and hypocrisy. The warmth of summer replaced by the harsh winds of betrayal. Charlatans now deaden the grass where my childhood idols once played. Which begs the question: Have I always been deceived?

Today, I read Alex Rodriguez's confession to using performance enhancing substances earlier in his career. This admission coming two days after a report naming him along with over 100 other players was made public. The 33 year old, All-Star third-baseman of the New York Yankees was regarded by many as the heir to the home-run title now owned by Barry Bonds, who is also under investigation on charges that he lied to a federal grand jury about his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs. A-Rod was the hope for renewed confidence in the honor of "America's game." However, today, the promise once again finds corruption.

Where have all the good men gone? Can guys like me ever find solace in the memories of our youth? Can the integrity of my childhood dreams be restored?

At this point, some of you are saying to yourselves, "It's just a game", but for me it was so much more. It was all that was good and right with my childhood. It's the memory of my dad and I throwing a ball out by the old bent tree. It's the proud cheers of my mom as I rounded third and slid into home. It's the enthusiasm of my grandmother as she walked me to see a teepee in the outfield bleachers of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. It's the smells and sounds of a summer of bliss that kept me warm through the winter season.

Will I ever again see great things in baseball? Can "America's game" be restored?

I'm inclined to hope.