There has been a lot in the news lately about an organization called the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Westerners typically have little understanding of Islam and the Muslim belief system. The tendency is to lump all Muslims into the same pile because it’s easier to handle that way. But that’s not being entirely fair. In this article I will offer a brief history of the Brothers; and then how they operate in conjunction with Israel, and their designs on the United States. Follow with me as we look into this organization.
The Muslim Brotherhood was formed in Egypt in 1928, and is the oldest Muslim organization in the world. It is formally known as “The Society of the Muslim Brothers,” but is more often referred to as Al-Ikhwān, The Brotherhood or MB. The media in reporting about this group, coupled with our government representatives, are all over the board when it comes to identifying this group. Are they radical Muslims, or are they more moderate, even leaning toward peaceful coexistence with the West? I don’t know, because it really depends on what you read and hear. Somewhere, as in most such cases, the truth is obscured.
The founder of the Brotherhood was Hassan al-Banna, a scholar and teacher of Islam. The Brotherhood's stated goal is to instill the Qur’an and Sunnah as the "sole reference point for ... ordering the life of the Muslim family, individual, community ... and state". The Qur’an (anglicized: Koran), of course, is the holy book of Islam. The Sunnah is “an Arabic word that means habit or usual practice. The Muslim usage of this term refers to the sayings and living habits of Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam. The Sunnah of Muhammad includes his specific words, habits, practices, and silent approvals. It is significant to the spirituality of Islam because it addresses ways of life dealing with friends, family, and government.”
A number of groups have split from the MB over the years, frequently complaining that the MB was not willing to be violent in enforcing Islam and Islamic teachings. “The Brotherhood condemned terrorism and the 9/11 attacks, but whether or not it has ties to terrorism is a matter of dispute.” They have been criticized by no less than Osama bin Laden, who accused them of betraying “Jihad.”
While many Muslim organizations call for violence against Jews and Israel, the Brotherhood in Israel, known as the Islamic Movement, is broken into two parts. In the north of Israel, the Movement is more radical, boycotting all Israeli elections; whereas their more moderate southern counterpart actually has a seat in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been active in the US since the 1960s. "Its stated goals have included propagating Islam and creating havens for Muslims in the US, and integrating Muslims. A main strategy has been dawah or Islamic renewal and outreach. In the 1960s, groups such as U.S. military personnel, prison inmates and African-Americans were specifically targeted for dawah."
In the early 70s I was back in school at the College of Alameda (CA) after my four year hitch in the Marine Corps. It was there that I ran into a group of these Black Muslims. These men had been recruited while serving time in prison. I had a lively, organized debate with them for three days in an African-American History class. They were in close alliance with the Black Panthers who were also on the campus. It was an encounter that I will not likely forget!
The goal of the Muslim Brotherhood in the USA is: “Enablement of Islam in North America, meaning: establishing an effective and stable Islamic Movement led by the Muslim Brotherhood which adopts Muslims’ causes domestically and globally, and which works to expand the observant Muslim base, aims at unifying and directing Muslims’ efforts, presents Islam as a civilization alternative, and supports the global Islamic state wherever it is.”
Disturbingly, deeper in this document, the goal of the Brotherhood is explained in detail. Settlement is defined in this manner: “The process of settlement [of Islam in the United States] is a "Civilization-Jihadist” process with all the word means. The Ikhwan must understand that all their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ their miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all religions. Without this level of understanding, we are not up to this challenge and have not prepared ourselves for Jihad yet. It is a Muslim's destiny to perform Jihad and work wherever he is and wherever he lands until the final hour comes, and there is no escape from that destiny except for those who choose to slack.”
Organizations in the U.S. started by activists involved with the Muslim Brotherhood include the Muslim Students Association in 1963, North American Islamic Trust in 1971, the Islamic Society of North America in 1981, the American Muslim Council in 1990, the Muslim American Society in 1992, and the International Institute of Islamic Thought in the 1980s. Make no mistake! Muslims are here in the United States in ever-increasing numbers, it is purposeful, and it is by design.
There is so much more to know, but perhaps this will help open your eyes to what this particular group of Islamists is planning for America and the world.
Marines.Together We Served
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Thoughts on Liberty
This past week I was invited to speak to a Kiwanis club in a city not far from Ripon. I have been privileged to speak to this particular group on several occasions, so it was a pleasure to join them once again.
As I considered what topic to address, I found myself thinking about liberty, and the basis upon which we, as Americans, have enjoyed our nation’s precious liberties for 234 years. These liberties came at a very high price: the blood of our patriots who fought the wars that secured our freedom.
Let’s begin by defining liberty. First, it means to be free from arbitrary or despotic government or control. Second, to be free from external or foreign rule; independence. Third, to be free from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc. And, fourth, the power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.
Even with these definitions, defining liberty can be quite challenging. This is because there is a very real tension between liberty for self-interest, and liberty for the good of everyone.
At this point I willing take the risk of deviating into philosophical conundrums pertaining to a more thorough understanding of liberty of which there are two forms: Natural and Civil.
The following are my thoughts taken from the writings of Puritan leader John Winthrop, in his book, “Little Speech on Liberty.”
First, there is “Natural” liberty. This is the same liberty that we share with the animal kingdom. More to the point, this is the liberty to do as one pleases. Natural liberty stems from man’s inherent sinful nature which is in rebellion against any form of authority.
Second, there is “Civil” liberty. This form of liberty is controlled by men who are guided by moral norms. It is the liberty to do “that only which is good, just, and honest.”
More to the point, Civil liberty is the “liberty of social creatures, reared in family, church, and local association, to recognize their duties to their fellows, as well as their right to pursue good ends.”
Mr. Winthrop’s description of Civil liberty could just as well have come straight out of the New Testament! In Philippians 2:3&4, it says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
This approach to life, and the way to deal with others, is foreign to Natural liberty which looks out for “Number One,” first and foremost. It is often the “self” which is uppermost in the thinking with the exercise of Natural liberty.
Now, what we often see touted as liberty today should more accurately be described as license. People choose to focus on their individual liberty to do whatever they please, totally disregarding the rights and liberties of those around them. That is more precisely “license,” and is the death knell of morality in society. Poet John Milton wrote during the seventeenth century these insightful words: “License they mean when they cry ‘Liberty’; for who loves that must first be wise and good.”
One example is the abuse of language. From TV, radio, movies, books, magazines, and people we encounter throughout the course of our daily pursuits, we are assaulted by a language and tone that is offensive and degrading. I have lost count as to the number of times I have approached a table of people (usually teens or men) at a restaurant to ask them to clean up their language.
Someone might say, “But, you don’t have the right to do that!” I would reply that I certainly do have that right. The vocal offenders are exercising their Natural liberty to do whatever they please, and by so doing they are choosing to disregard and disrespect others; whereas I am exercising my Civil liberty of maintaining a societal moral order which benefits everyone.
The erosion of our liberties today will continue unabated until “We the People” demand that our moral order is respected once again. It may seem like an impossible task, but it isn’t if enough people who hold to a godly standard of Civil liberty join forces for the betterment of all.
We can do this!
As I considered what topic to address, I found myself thinking about liberty, and the basis upon which we, as Americans, have enjoyed our nation’s precious liberties for 234 years. These liberties came at a very high price: the blood of our patriots who fought the wars that secured our freedom.
Let’s begin by defining liberty. First, it means to be free from arbitrary or despotic government or control. Second, to be free from external or foreign rule; independence. Third, to be free from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc. And, fourth, the power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.
Even with these definitions, defining liberty can be quite challenging. This is because there is a very real tension between liberty for self-interest, and liberty for the good of everyone.
At this point I willing take the risk of deviating into philosophical conundrums pertaining to a more thorough understanding of liberty of which there are two forms: Natural and Civil.
The following are my thoughts taken from the writings of Puritan leader John Winthrop, in his book, “Little Speech on Liberty.”
First, there is “Natural” liberty. This is the same liberty that we share with the animal kingdom. More to the point, this is the liberty to do as one pleases. Natural liberty stems from man’s inherent sinful nature which is in rebellion against any form of authority.
Second, there is “Civil” liberty. This form of liberty is controlled by men who are guided by moral norms. It is the liberty to do “that only which is good, just, and honest.”
More to the point, Civil liberty is the “liberty of social creatures, reared in family, church, and local association, to recognize their duties to their fellows, as well as their right to pursue good ends.”
Mr. Winthrop’s description of Civil liberty could just as well have come straight out of the New Testament! In Philippians 2:3&4, it says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
This approach to life, and the way to deal with others, is foreign to Natural liberty which looks out for “Number One,” first and foremost. It is often the “self” which is uppermost in the thinking with the exercise of Natural liberty.
Now, what we often see touted as liberty today should more accurately be described as license. People choose to focus on their individual liberty to do whatever they please, totally disregarding the rights and liberties of those around them. That is more precisely “license,” and is the death knell of morality in society. Poet John Milton wrote during the seventeenth century these insightful words: “License they mean when they cry ‘Liberty’; for who loves that must first be wise and good.”
One example is the abuse of language. From TV, radio, movies, books, magazines, and people we encounter throughout the course of our daily pursuits, we are assaulted by a language and tone that is offensive and degrading. I have lost count as to the number of times I have approached a table of people (usually teens or men) at a restaurant to ask them to clean up their language.
Someone might say, “But, you don’t have the right to do that!” I would reply that I certainly do have that right. The vocal offenders are exercising their Natural liberty to do whatever they please, and by so doing they are choosing to disregard and disrespect others; whereas I am exercising my Civil liberty of maintaining a societal moral order which benefits everyone.
The erosion of our liberties today will continue unabated until “We the People” demand that our moral order is respected once again. It may seem like an impossible task, but it isn’t if enough people who hold to a godly standard of Civil liberty join forces for the betterment of all.
We can do this!
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
An Anomaly from History
Alas! Being the inveterate Civil War buff that I am, I must always return to this popular American historical topic just the way salmon must return upriver to spawn, or Canadian geese fly south for the winter.
Tonight I was sitting reading from several of my Civil War books taken from my collection which fills one bookcase and then some. One book that always makes me smile is entitled, “The Incredible Civil War,” by Bruce Davis, 1960. This paperback volume is like attempting to eat just one M&M from the bag. It is chock full of intriguing information that you typically do not run across in your standard school text books. But once you read one story, you simply cannot stop.
So let me introduce a topic in this article that may be of interest to you: Abraham Lincoln’s beard. “Who cares about Lincoln’s beard?” you ask. Well, there are some interesting facts and stories surrounding this 16th President of the United States and his vaunted beard.
Lincoln was the first president to sport a beard! I thought back over the images in my mind of the various presidents, and could not dispute the statement that no president prior to Lincoln had worn a beard. So, to confirm this bold assertion, I checked a pictorial display of all the presidents. The official portraits of the presidents reveal that all 15 of the first presidents were clean-shaven! Only one even came close to wearing facial hair, and that was Martin Van Buren, the 8th president, who had a pair of the largest mutton chops you’ve ever seen!
Lincoln actually began something of a trend as a number of his successors followed suit, namely, Ulysses S. Grant (18th), Rutherford B. Hayes (19th), James A. Garfield (20th), Chester A. Arthur (21st), and Benjamin Harrison (23rd). Of the first fifteen presidents, none had any facial hair, with the noted exception already mentioned of Van Buren’s world-class mutton chops. Andrew Johnson (17th) assumed the presidency following Lincoln’s assassination. He followed in the line of the first 15, choosing to be clean-shaven. The next six either had a beard or a mustache. William McKinley (24th) reverted to the clean-shaven look. Teddy Roosevelt (25th) and William Howard Taft (26th) were the last two presidents to have facial hair – moustaches. From Woodrow Wilson (27th) to the present president, Barack Hussein Obama (44th), all have chosen to remain hairless.
So, how did Lincoln break with the hairless tradition? During the presidential campaign of 1860, Lincoln received a letter from an eleven-year-old girl from Westfield, New York, named Grace Bedell. This child told the Republican candidate that she had four brothers. It seems a couple of them were Lincoln supporters. Grace said if Lincoln would allow his beard to grow she would get her other brothers to vote for him. She even said, “You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. . . . . All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be president.” Lincoln wrote to Grace the following day: “As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affectation to begin now?” As the saying goes, “The rest is history!” After Lincoln was elected, he took a two-week train ride circuitously from Illinois to Washington, DC where he would be sworn in as the 16th president of the United States. One of the many stops along the way was at Westfield, New York. While giving a speech, Lincoln paused, and said, “During my campaign I had a little correspondent from your town. She kindly admonished me to let my whiskers grow, and since I’ve taken her advice, I would like to see her. Is she here? Is Grace Bedell here?” The little girl was pushed along by the crowd until she found herself face-to-face with the next president. Mr. Lincoln then gave her a kiss while all the people applauded.
One of the greatest presidents in our history grew a beard at the suggestion of a precocious little girl. His beard was finally full grown just before his trip to Washington, DC. And now his bearded portrait is the most famous face in American history.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
When Silence is Deadly
“This case is about a doctor who killed babies and endangered women. What we mean is that he regularly and illegally delivered live, viable, babies in the third trimester of pregnancy – and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal chords with scissors. The medical practice by which he carried out this business was a filthy fraud in which he overdosed his patients with dangerous drugs, spread venereal disease among them with infected instruments, perforated their wombs and bowels – and, on at least two occasions, caused their deaths. Over the years, many people came to know that something was going on here. But no one put a stop to it.”
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| Aborted Babies in Dr. Gosnell's office |
Among other things, what makes this a criminal act is that the doctor killed babies after they were born. These were not aborted babies. They were very much alive (The fact that the babies could have been aborted from the womb with no serious argument as far as criminality is concerned, as opposed to the killing of babies minutes old being considered murder is grist for another article). Even more chilling is that this doctor is not a crazy. On the contrary, he believes he is perfectly in the right to do what he did. I suppose he will face trial for his actions, but didn’t we open the door for such heinous activity with the passage of Roe v Wade nearly forty years ago?
Under the umbrella of Roe v Wade, women were to have clean, sanitary medical environments in abortion clinics where they could safely dispose of the cause of their unwanted pregnancy. It was all to be so neat and clean! But alas! Such has not been the case as evidenced by this murderous doctor in Pennsylvania. Are you aware, for instance, that Roe v Wade only authorized abortions up through the second trimester? Unborn babies that were in the third trimester were not to be aborted. Where has the regulatory board for such things been? Abortion clinics have routinely been aborting babies at any stage of the pregnancy. We have created a climate in our society that has pushed the limits on practically everything that was once believed to be sacrosanct, sacred, holy, even untouchable.
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| Dr. Gosnell's Abortion Clinic |
For several decades complaints about this doctor and his unorthodox practices were ignored by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Pennsylvania Department of State, and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Health. It’s not as if these agencies were unaware of what was going on, because at various times over the years inspections of the premises were made with comments given that this was the worst abortion clinic ever. But no one did anything about it! Now after hundreds of murdered babies, the Pennsylvania Grand Jury finally conducts and investigation and recommends numerous charges be brought against Dr. Kermit Gosnell and members of his staff. They range from the murder of babies, 3rd degree murder of a mother, infanticide, violations of controlled substances, hindering prosecution, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, and perjury, among other charges. The authorities may eventually put this doctor and some of his staff behind bars, but the damage done to lives is unconscionable.
Among the various ghastly items discovered in this “house of horrors” were countless numbers of small jars containing the severed feet of the babies killed by Dr. Gosnell.
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| Dr. Kermit Gosnell |
I am sickened by this story. And I fear there are still other houses of horror that have yet to surface. When will sanity and respect for the sacred return to our nation?
Have we failed to learn anything from the Holocaust seventy years ago when equally despicable actions were foisted upon an entire race of people – the Jews? People simply looked the other way. They said nothing then, too. Are we any different?God have mercy on us!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Root Cause
As have many of you, I watched with great interest as the tragic and sordid details of the saga of the Tucson shooting unfolded. Last night my wife and I watched the memorial service for the six victims killed by Jared Loughner, held in the basketball stadium at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
But the question that comes to my mind when I hear of some dastardly deed like this, is, “Why is it we’re always surprised when these horrific acts of violence occur?” Are we shocked? Yes. But should we be surprised? No.
A little more than a year ago, an Army major, an avowed Muslim cavorting with those who want our nation destroyed, pulled a pistol and shot numerous people at Fort Hood, a number of which died. Shocking, but not surprising. At Virginia Tech, a student killed any number of his fellow students. Same with Columbine High School. Shocking! Not surprising.
“Okay, Pastor Roots,” you ask, “where are you going with this?” Glad you asked!
We can sit and wring our hands in despair, asking the questions that plague all of us at such times, “Why did this happen? Who could do such a thing?” The answer is quite simple, actually. Any person who is not in a right relationship with God is capable of doing the worst acts imaginable. Follow me here. God made us to live in fellowship with him. Unfortunately, man’s history is a roller coaster ride of highs and lows in his relationship to God.
As a Christian, I see this story of man being in and out of fellowship with God repeated throughout the Old and New Testaments. The reason there’s no end to the Bible, for instance, is that we are still living it – and the pattern of man’s on-again, off-again relationship with God hasn’t changed.
When the American colonies rebelled and won their independence from Britain, men stepped forward to lead this fledgling nation. These were godly men, for the most part. A few weeks ago I wrote an article for this column about the religion and morality of the Founding Fathers. Early in the article I stated, “In the infancy of this ‘Grand Experiment,’ known as the United States, it was well understood that we would succeed only if we remained committed to our religious and moral principles, and the precepts contained in the Bible.” You see, there was a healthy fear of God in our American ancestors. They had a very high regard for God and his truth. The more removed from this part of our history we have become, the more we fall into the pit of despair. We feel abandoned by God. And because of our sin, God is under no obligation to come to our rescue until we repent. This is the root cause of our societal troubles.
In today’s society, we are doing all we can to remove anything and everything having to do with God from business, politics, the entertainment industry, even our military, with disturbing attempts to restrict what you and I can practice regarding our faith in our churches and even our homes. We have been slowly, yet increasingly losing our fear of God. When the natural disasters occur, such as Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Indonesia, the earthquakes of Haiti and Chile, or the man-made terrors of Tucson, and the rest already cited, we are sure quick to call on God. But even when we do, it is often with an accusatory tone that blames the Lord, “God, you let this happen! You could have prevented it!”
Did you happen to notice that during the memorial service for the Tucson victims last evening, Director of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, read from the Old Testament; followed by the Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, reading from the New Testament? Even the president read from the Bible during his speech. In a crisis everyone wants to get close to God. That’s fine. But I see no fear of God, particularly from our leaders. No shame for our willful, selfish behavior. No attempt to even excuse our over-indulgent attitudes and appetites. “Sin? What sin?” we ask. Yet we are a nation that has legalized abortion. To date, we are guilty of some fifty million deaths of unborn babies. This alone tells me we have lost the fear of God.
In Genesis, Abraham is traveling through an area between today’s Egypt and Israel. The people he encounters greatly concern him. Abraham said to himself, “There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me . . .” And I fear that we are walking around in America today, saying, “Surely there is no fear of God in this place. I might be killed.”
Immediately after delivering the Ten Commandments, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
My prayer is that the United States of America will be tested by God so that the fear of God will be with us to keep us from sinning. I am convinced that this is the only answer for our grossly decaying, increasingly godless society.
But the question that comes to my mind when I hear of some dastardly deed like this, is, “Why is it we’re always surprised when these horrific acts of violence occur?” Are we shocked? Yes. But should we be surprised? No.
A little more than a year ago, an Army major, an avowed Muslim cavorting with those who want our nation destroyed, pulled a pistol and shot numerous people at Fort Hood, a number of which died. Shocking, but not surprising. At Virginia Tech, a student killed any number of his fellow students. Same with Columbine High School. Shocking! Not surprising.
“Okay, Pastor Roots,” you ask, “where are you going with this?” Glad you asked!
We can sit and wring our hands in despair, asking the questions that plague all of us at such times, “Why did this happen? Who could do such a thing?” The answer is quite simple, actually. Any person who is not in a right relationship with God is capable of doing the worst acts imaginable. Follow me here. God made us to live in fellowship with him. Unfortunately, man’s history is a roller coaster ride of highs and lows in his relationship to God.
As a Christian, I see this story of man being in and out of fellowship with God repeated throughout the Old and New Testaments. The reason there’s no end to the Bible, for instance, is that we are still living it – and the pattern of man’s on-again, off-again relationship with God hasn’t changed.
When the American colonies rebelled and won their independence from Britain, men stepped forward to lead this fledgling nation. These were godly men, for the most part. A few weeks ago I wrote an article for this column about the religion and morality of the Founding Fathers. Early in the article I stated, “In the infancy of this ‘Grand Experiment,’ known as the United States, it was well understood that we would succeed only if we remained committed to our religious and moral principles, and the precepts contained in the Bible.” You see, there was a healthy fear of God in our American ancestors. They had a very high regard for God and his truth. The more removed from this part of our history we have become, the more we fall into the pit of despair. We feel abandoned by God. And because of our sin, God is under no obligation to come to our rescue until we repent. This is the root cause of our societal troubles.
In today’s society, we are doing all we can to remove anything and everything having to do with God from business, politics, the entertainment industry, even our military, with disturbing attempts to restrict what you and I can practice regarding our faith in our churches and even our homes. We have been slowly, yet increasingly losing our fear of God. When the natural disasters occur, such as Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Indonesia, the earthquakes of Haiti and Chile, or the man-made terrors of Tucson, and the rest already cited, we are sure quick to call on God. But even when we do, it is often with an accusatory tone that blames the Lord, “God, you let this happen! You could have prevented it!”
Did you happen to notice that during the memorial service for the Tucson victims last evening, Director of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, read from the Old Testament; followed by the Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, reading from the New Testament? Even the president read from the Bible during his speech. In a crisis everyone wants to get close to God. That’s fine. But I see no fear of God, particularly from our leaders. No shame for our willful, selfish behavior. No attempt to even excuse our over-indulgent attitudes and appetites. “Sin? What sin?” we ask. Yet we are a nation that has legalized abortion. To date, we are guilty of some fifty million deaths of unborn babies. This alone tells me we have lost the fear of God.
In Genesis, Abraham is traveling through an area between today’s Egypt and Israel. The people he encounters greatly concern him. Abraham said to himself, “There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me . . .” And I fear that we are walking around in America today, saying, “Surely there is no fear of God in this place. I might be killed.”
Immediately after delivering the Ten Commandments, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
My prayer is that the United States of America will be tested by God so that the fear of God will be with us to keep us from sinning. I am convinced that this is the only answer for our grossly decaying, increasingly godless society.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
An Act of Grace
The other day my secretary handed me an article she found in one of our recent missionary publications. What she wanted me to see is one of the most heart-warming stories I’ve read in a long time.
In my denomination, the Free Methodist Church, we are arranged in the U.S. by geographical regions called Conferences. Each conference has the responsibility of financially supporting different Free Methodist missionaries around the globe. There are three missionary couples/individuals our conference, the Sierra Pacific Conference, supports. The story I want to share with you comes from a missionary school where the Williams family is serving. Two of their daughters play on the high school girl’s basketball team. What follows is what can happen when God is glorified and not man.
After years of avid rivalry between girls’ basketball teams at Grace International School (GIS) and Chiang Mai International School (CMIS), both in Thailand, one act of kindness restored the relationship damaged by competition.
In the fourth quarter of the final game – in haste to let everyone play – Coach Walden of GIS accidentally put an eleventh girl on the court. But when GIS beat CMIS by at least thirty points, their victory was too quickly claimed. A referee verified the error, and then debated with other coaches and authorities. Should Grace be disqualified for their violation of the rules even though it was a moot point, since Grace was so far ahead, or should Grace be recognized as the champions?
Other athletic directors agreed to bend the rules and accept a GIS championship. But Coach Walden adamantly refused. “We made a mistake, and we’ll take the consequences,” he stated.
As GIS received their Second Place awards due to disqualification, Grace girls graciously received the silver medals, hugged Coach and Mrs. Walden, and then sat down.
Moments before, the Grace girls had huddled around Coach and Mrs. Walden. “We told them it was okay. Second Place didn’t matter. The glory goes to God, not to us anyway,” one GIS senior said.
Then the CMIS girl’s varsity made a huge sacrifice. After being presented with their gold medals, they asked the Grace girls to stand. The rivals faced each other; then a CMIS player said, “Girls, let’s trade.” The CMIS girls removed their gold medals and placed them on the GIS girls, who then took the silver medals for themselves. In so doing they honored the Grace girls as champions. Coaches, teammates and folks in the stands were in tears!
One Grace player said, “We haven’t had the most peaceful rivalry this season, so I honor them. I was wowed by CMIS’ decision.”
In the annals of sports legends and lore, this championship between two schools of missionary kids played somewhere in a faraway country that most of us couldn’t locate on a map, won’t even merit a footnote. ESPN will know nothing of this act of God’s grace. The NCAA won’t be contacting Coach Walden to return to the U.S. to be the coach for the championship UConn Lady Huskies. No four-year athletic scholarships will be offered to any of these girls. But let me ask you: Wouldn’t you want to have any one of these girls on your team?
But! I would venture to say that in the holy halls of heaven this story is told and retold as one more example of what happens when people live for God; when they put him first in their lives; and don’t care about the baubles and bangles of this life’s rewards. Instead, because hearts have been changed through faith in Jesus Christ, it is God who gets the glory!
Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
As you look at your life, who is the one being glorified? You or God?
In my denomination, the Free Methodist Church, we are arranged in the U.S. by geographical regions called Conferences. Each conference has the responsibility of financially supporting different Free Methodist missionaries around the globe. There are three missionary couples/individuals our conference, the Sierra Pacific Conference, supports. The story I want to share with you comes from a missionary school where the Williams family is serving. Two of their daughters play on the high school girl’s basketball team. What follows is what can happen when God is glorified and not man.
After years of avid rivalry between girls’ basketball teams at Grace International School (GIS) and Chiang Mai International School (CMIS), both in Thailand, one act of kindness restored the relationship damaged by competition.
In the fourth quarter of the final game – in haste to let everyone play – Coach Walden of GIS accidentally put an eleventh girl on the court. But when GIS beat CMIS by at least thirty points, their victory was too quickly claimed. A referee verified the error, and then debated with other coaches and authorities. Should Grace be disqualified for their violation of the rules even though it was a moot point, since Grace was so far ahead, or should Grace be recognized as the champions?
Other athletic directors agreed to bend the rules and accept a GIS championship. But Coach Walden adamantly refused. “We made a mistake, and we’ll take the consequences,” he stated.
As GIS received their Second Place awards due to disqualification, Grace girls graciously received the silver medals, hugged Coach and Mrs. Walden, and then sat down.
Moments before, the Grace girls had huddled around Coach and Mrs. Walden. “We told them it was okay. Second Place didn’t matter. The glory goes to God, not to us anyway,” one GIS senior said.
Then the CMIS girl’s varsity made a huge sacrifice. After being presented with their gold medals, they asked the Grace girls to stand. The rivals faced each other; then a CMIS player said, “Girls, let’s trade.” The CMIS girls removed their gold medals and placed them on the GIS girls, who then took the silver medals for themselves. In so doing they honored the Grace girls as champions. Coaches, teammates and folks in the stands were in tears!
One Grace player said, “We haven’t had the most peaceful rivalry this season, so I honor them. I was wowed by CMIS’ decision.”
In the annals of sports legends and lore, this championship between two schools of missionary kids played somewhere in a faraway country that most of us couldn’t locate on a map, won’t even merit a footnote. ESPN will know nothing of this act of God’s grace. The NCAA won’t be contacting Coach Walden to return to the U.S. to be the coach for the championship UConn Lady Huskies. No four-year athletic scholarships will be offered to any of these girls. But let me ask you: Wouldn’t you want to have any one of these girls on your team?
But! I would venture to say that in the holy halls of heaven this story is told and retold as one more example of what happens when people live for God; when they put him first in their lives; and don’t care about the baubles and bangles of this life’s rewards. Instead, because hearts have been changed through faith in Jesus Christ, it is God who gets the glory!
Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
As you look at your life, who is the one being glorified? You or God?
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