(Look up 2 Corinthians 8:21 !)
A couple of days ago the whole story about the Patriots cheating hit the news. As I understand it, a cameraman was transmitting pictures of the Jets using hand signals to call their plays. It’s against the N.F.L rules. Apparently, the Patriots were also accused of something similar last year in a game against Green Bay. Yesterday, Bill Belichek (I don’t know if I spelled his name correctly) admitted it- there’s a fine and penalties which the Patriots will face and that will be that. Overwhelmingly, callers to local radio shows have said things like, “Who cares?! EVERYBODY does it!” Well, I for one am pretty disappointed. I think this tarnishes the Patriots’ image and it’s a real shame. “V.B” Gowdy from the FOX 25 Morning News compared this to Nixon’s Watergate break in and cover up. Nixon was pretty much guaranteed to win reelection in a landslide in 1972. Thus, the whole Watergate thing was particularly stupid. Likewise, the Patriots are very talented and have an excellent shot at being Super Bowl Champions again. There is no reason for them Belichek to do something so stupid.
I know people lie. In fact, they misrepresent themselves in SO many ways! I got one of my first tastes of that back in the winter of 1972, just a few months before Watergate. Mrs. S.C. a popular and articulate 40-ish writer for a local newspaper in my hometown of Canton, MA was running for Selectman. She was also a very liberal Democrat...someone that today Howie Carr would call a “moon bat”. This will surprise some of my readers, but in those days I was a very liberal Democrat. S.C.’s son was a couple of years younger than me, and looked like he just walked out of Woodstock...the long straight black hair, the oversized fatigue jacket, the jeans, and all that goes with that look and lifestyle, well, S.C. and a bunch of young people from Canton High School got behind her campaign. We passed out leaflets each Saturday at the Canton dump, sometimes in Zero degree conditions. People felt so sorry for us, there was a big sympathy factor. Even elderly Yankee curmudgeon H. Kinsley Draper ENDORSED her! She took on several powerful Townies, and BEAT THEM! This may not sound like much, but her leaflets statedshe had a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She didn’t. She had a degree in English, but she didn’t think that sounded impressive enough so she changed it to Political Science. I campaigned for her, but I couldn’t help but wonder- what else does she lie about or has she lied about?
Over the years, a lot of people have left First Assembly of God of Framingham. In fact, TOO many have! Today, there area only about a third as many people in the church as there were when I cam to the church twenty years ago. Some of the people who have left have said some awful things about me, but one guy who left used a phrase which I took as a compliment. He said, “You’re a straight shooter.” I am. It’s not always easy. I remember when I was around 7, my father installed a clear plastic pen holder onto the side of one of the wooden cabinets in the kitchen. He was very proud of it. This way, there would always be a pen handy if a person needed to write down a phone message. But my father had no sense of aesthetics. Honestly, I thought it looked cluttered and awful. It just didn’t “go” with the decor. I said so. That “didn’t go over” as they say! I learned that a lot of times people ask, “What do you think of _______?” and when you tell them, at best they may give you a verbal dressing down, and at worst they may hate you!
In 1980, I was attending a medium-sized Assemblies of God church which was rapidly growing. They were planning a special service, and the pastor was convinced that 800 would be present at the special event.
“How many think there’s not gonna be 800 at the service?” the pastor asked one day IN A PUBLIC SETTING. No one responded.
“Be HONEST, friend!!” he teased, “How many think there’s not gonna be 800?”
I raised my hand. It was a very tense awkward moment, but he asked. Another time at the church I pastor, I was the ONLY one to (publicly) vote down a proposed change to the Constitution and ByLaws. The change was to make it HARDER to become a Member of our church. That was our Board’s position. It was my wife’s position. It was everyone’s position. But it was not my position. I wish it had been a secret ballot. But it was by voice vote. You know those deals of “All those in favor say ‘AYE’!” .... “Those opposed???” and I voted opposed. It was really embarrassing. At the time I felt like a TERRIBLE leader and I felt very weak. But today, fifteen years later, I have no regrets and I actually think it showed great strength on my part.
It’s not easy, but I’d still rather be a straight shooter.
I know people lie. In fact, they misrepresent themselves in SO many ways! I got one of my first tastes of that back in the winter of 1972, just a few months before Watergate. Mrs. S.C. a popular and articulate 40-ish writer for a local newspaper in my hometown of Canton, MA was running for Selectman. She was also a very liberal Democrat...someone that today Howie Carr would call a “moon bat”. This will surprise some of my readers, but in those days I was a very liberal Democrat. S.C.’s son was a couple of years younger than me, and looked like he just walked out of Woodstock...the long straight black hair, the oversized fatigue jacket, the jeans, and all that goes with that look and lifestyle, well, S.C. and a bunch of young people from Canton High School got behind her campaign. We passed out leaflets each Saturday at the Canton dump, sometimes in Zero degree conditions. People felt so sorry for us, there was a big sympathy factor. Even elderly Yankee curmudgeon H. Kinsley Draper ENDORSED her! She took on several powerful Townies, and BEAT THEM! This may not sound like much, but her leaflets statedshe had a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She didn’t. She had a degree in English, but she didn’t think that sounded impressive enough so she changed it to Political Science. I campaigned for her, but I couldn’t help but wonder- what else does she lie about or has she lied about?
Over the years, a lot of people have left First Assembly of God of Framingham. In fact, TOO many have! Today, there area only about a third as many people in the church as there were when I cam to the church twenty years ago. Some of the people who have left have said some awful things about me, but one guy who left used a phrase which I took as a compliment. He said, “You’re a straight shooter.” I am. It’s not always easy. I remember when I was around 7, my father installed a clear plastic pen holder onto the side of one of the wooden cabinets in the kitchen. He was very proud of it. This way, there would always be a pen handy if a person needed to write down a phone message. But my father had no sense of aesthetics. Honestly, I thought it looked cluttered and awful. It just didn’t “go” with the decor. I said so. That “didn’t go over” as they say! I learned that a lot of times people ask, “What do you think of _______?” and when you tell them, at best they may give you a verbal dressing down, and at worst they may hate you!
In 1980, I was attending a medium-sized Assemblies of God church which was rapidly growing. They were planning a special service, and the pastor was convinced that 800 would be present at the special event.
“How many think there’s not gonna be 800 at the service?” the pastor asked one day IN A PUBLIC SETTING. No one responded.
“Be HONEST, friend!!” he teased, “How many think there’s not gonna be 800?”
I raised my hand. It was a very tense awkward moment, but he asked. Another time at the church I pastor, I was the ONLY one to (publicly) vote down a proposed change to the Constitution and ByLaws. The change was to make it HARDER to become a Member of our church. That was our Board’s position. It was my wife’s position. It was everyone’s position. But it was not my position. I wish it had been a secret ballot. But it was by voice vote. You know those deals of “All those in favor say ‘AYE’!” .... “Those opposed???” and I voted opposed. It was really embarrassing. At the time I felt like a TERRIBLE leader and I felt very weak. But today, fifteen years later, I have no regrets and I actually think it showed great strength on my part.
It’s not easy, but I’d still rather be a straight shooter.
1 comment:
yeah, it's sad about the Patriots.
i think lying is stupid... it's almost always better to tell the truth. but it's also important to remember the WAY you tell the truth so you don't come off sounding like a jerk.
so WERE there 800 people at the thing in the end?
don't feel bad about saying "nay." that's what voting's all about. sometimes you gotta stand alone.
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