We are now beginning to see the scale of the oil spill in the gulf. It will probably turn out to be worse than we are hearing today. But even at this point, it is pretty awful. As I think about the environmental destruction and general horror of the whole thing, I do not feel righteous or judgmental at all. Whatever happened out there, I figure that I did it. Or, we did it anyway. There's no escaping the guilt here--the greed maybe but not the guilt.
Of course, it is ridiculous and wrong that BP has made hundreds of billions in profit already this year. And we probably ought to judge them for that at some level. But the fact is they've made all that money mostly by just giving us what we want. And now the ocean and countless creatures have suffered a pretty horrible injustice because of that same degree of want. Sure, the spill will cost us something. It will cost the people who make a living in and around the coast. It will affect the stock market and probably the cost of gasoline at some point. But to suggest that we are going to suffer for what BP has done is a little like Peter blaming Judas for betraying Jesus. Nah, this is something that I've done. And it is awful.
The awful part is not that we've spilled oil in the gulf. It is the way that we spilled it. This wasn't just a tragic accident. It was the byproduct of runaway self-interest and sin. All we cared about was getting what we want. And we would have gone on caring about nothing else had we not been inconvenienced by this embarrassing little accident in the gulf.
But now that we are being made to look and see what has become of us, we have a window of opportunity. We have an opportunity to tell the truth and consider the weight of our want. The first bit of truth telling is admitting that this is not merely an accident. It is a disaster, a real disaster, and it has come upon us by our own hand. The second bit is pretty standard moral stuff. Namely, it is a matter of what now? What will we do? Will we figure out a better way to get what we want--maybe take a real look at wind power or wave power or solar power? Will we rethink the whole want thing--or at least want at the level that we have been practicing it of late?
I recently began reading a book entitled, "Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire." It was recommended to me by a friend. He's an intellectual so the book is pretty heady. And it's not a perfect book. Nevertheless, the author is struggling with some pretty important questions. There are people out there that are struggling with these things. Just like people once struggled with things like slavery and child labor and women's suffrage, it is time that we start sincerely struggling with things like consumption, globalization and the environment. These aren't political issues. These are moral issues.
I feel responsible for what has happened in the gulf. I am not sure how I've done it and I am not at all sure how to make it right but I think I'm ready to learn. I want to start wanting something else.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Swing Slow; Hit Hard
O.K., I can now say that I am officially connected to the city of Charlotte! I tried getting excited about the Bobcats and the Panthers but it never really took. I went to the Wachovia a couple of years back and enjoyed it but nothing to call my mom about... And then this weekend, a friend invited me to go to the Quail Hollow event. I got to see some amazing shots and catch a bit of the atmosphere on Saturday to keep me interested. And then yesterday...
For a sports enthusiasts, today is a pretty good day to live in the city of Charlotte. Millions of people are going to see and remember what Rory McIlroy accomplished yesterday. They will be talking about this for a long time--and well beyond the city of Charlotte.
I am not much of a golfer but I do have a history with it. One of my closest friends in high school was probably the best player that ever went to our high school. I caddied for him in a number of opens and club tournaments. John was an unlikely golfer. He was the only guy that I knew with a bigger chip on his shoulder than mine and he had a horrible temper. Additionally, John was an exceptional athlete. He was only 5'11" but he could dunk a basketball and probably could have run a 10.8 hundred yard dash had the track season not coincided with golf. John ended up getting a partial scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa where he had a break out tournament at some Playboy Invitational in the Midwest where for 3 days he outplayed the best golfers from several of the Big Ten schools. After that, he sort of turned to more familiar college pursuits. He left college before he graduated and has worked as a greens-keeper and landscaper for twenty some years now. His shoulders are shot from all the manual labor but I still believe that John DeVault might been the Will Hunting of golf. If only someone would have caught him while there was still time to curb all that self-destruction.
Anyway, it was really great seeing Rory win. I was just as happy for Billy Mayfair the day before and was rooting for him until it was clear that it just wasn't going to happen. It will be interesting to see how things go from here on out. We're already hearing those inevitable comparisions to Tiger Woods. It's sickening; why can't we just enjoy the golf? Why does it all have to be about astro-heroics?
This weekend I was reminded that it is good to be a student. I went to the tournament with no pretense about golf or about the culture that surrounds it. I let my friend teach me as much as I could pick up in the few hours that we were out there. And it was great! I found myself surprisingly excited about the whole thing. I am never going to be a big-time golf enthusiast but still, it was a blessing to have my mind expanded and to share in the joy of others who were absolutely thrilled to be a part of this thing. One of my favorite scenes of the whole weekend was watching the crowd react to Rory's putt on the final hole. It was, of course, like watching a movie--how else could you describe a 40-foot birdie putt to ice the cake? But all those people--they couldn't have been happier for this kid! And that is wonderful thing. To be satisfied with simply being there--happy to see someone else have their day--that's special.
I hope that I can extend this attitude to other areas. It seems that some folks just can't figure this out--if they're not the deal, they don't have time for it... I've been like that myself sometimes. But the fact is, that's a pretty sorry way to approach life. There is only so much joy we're going to be able to squeeze out of our own stories. So why not learn to celebrate it in others? Just being there when someone else is having a good day can be a blessing in and of itself.
For a sports enthusiasts, today is a pretty good day to live in the city of Charlotte. Millions of people are going to see and remember what Rory McIlroy accomplished yesterday. They will be talking about this for a long time--and well beyond the city of Charlotte.
I am not much of a golfer but I do have a history with it. One of my closest friends in high school was probably the best player that ever went to our high school. I caddied for him in a number of opens and club tournaments. John was an unlikely golfer. He was the only guy that I knew with a bigger chip on his shoulder than mine and he had a horrible temper. Additionally, John was an exceptional athlete. He was only 5'11" but he could dunk a basketball and probably could have run a 10.8 hundred yard dash had the track season not coincided with golf. John ended up getting a partial scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa where he had a break out tournament at some Playboy Invitational in the Midwest where for 3 days he outplayed the best golfers from several of the Big Ten schools. After that, he sort of turned to more familiar college pursuits. He left college before he graduated and has worked as a greens-keeper and landscaper for twenty some years now. His shoulders are shot from all the manual labor but I still believe that John DeVault might been the Will Hunting of golf. If only someone would have caught him while there was still time to curb all that self-destruction.
Anyway, it was really great seeing Rory win. I was just as happy for Billy Mayfair the day before and was rooting for him until it was clear that it just wasn't going to happen. It will be interesting to see how things go from here on out. We're already hearing those inevitable comparisions to Tiger Woods. It's sickening; why can't we just enjoy the golf? Why does it all have to be about astro-heroics?
This weekend I was reminded that it is good to be a student. I went to the tournament with no pretense about golf or about the culture that surrounds it. I let my friend teach me as much as I could pick up in the few hours that we were out there. And it was great! I found myself surprisingly excited about the whole thing. I am never going to be a big-time golf enthusiast but still, it was a blessing to have my mind expanded and to share in the joy of others who were absolutely thrilled to be a part of this thing. One of my favorite scenes of the whole weekend was watching the crowd react to Rory's putt on the final hole. It was, of course, like watching a movie--how else could you describe a 40-foot birdie putt to ice the cake? But all those people--they couldn't have been happier for this kid! And that is wonderful thing. To be satisfied with simply being there--happy to see someone else have their day--that's special.
I hope that I can extend this attitude to other areas. It seems that some folks just can't figure this out--if they're not the deal, they don't have time for it... I've been like that myself sometimes. But the fact is, that's a pretty sorry way to approach life. There is only so much joy we're going to be able to squeeze out of our own stories. So why not learn to celebrate it in others? Just being there when someone else is having a good day can be a blessing in and of itself.
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