Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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Grace for Mark McGwire?
by Todd at the Mockingbird blogAs the World Series is set to begin, the biggest story in baseball isn't the Phillies quest for a repeat title or the resurgence of A-Rod and the Yankees, but it's the return of Mark McGwire to baseball as a hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. As expected, many fans are crying foul. Next to Barry Bonds, McGwire is public enemy number two in MLB's steroid era. News of McGwire's illegal doping first came to light in Jose Canseco's book "Juiced." While McGwire has never failed a drug test, Canseco's accusation confirmed the widespread suspicions that it was steroids that contributed to his rapid weight gain and 70 home runs. But unlike other players like Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, and Jason Giambi, McGwire has never admitted to taking steroids. Even worse, he has blatently side-stepped the issue when he has been asked about his steroid use and not proclaimed his innocence.
It is this silence that has aroused criticism of the Cardinal's hiring of McGwire to be their hitting coach. The lead FBI investigator Greg Stejskal had this to say: "It's basically rewarding a guy who hasn't stood up and taken a stand against this stuff. There's been no mea culpa, and instead he became a recluse. It reminds me of a passage from Proverbs: 'The wicked flee where no man pursueth.'"
The public outrage over Mark McGwire can be traced to both McGwire's alledged steroid abuse and his refusal to come-clean and repent. The Cardinals have hired a coach who hasn't "taken responsibility" for his actions. They have shown him grace. The Cardinals have willingly suffered the cost of this public relations nightmare by giving an abandoned transgressor like Mark McGwire new life through a job that allows him to do what he loves.
The Christian understanding of grace is not forgiveness to those who have made amends of their sin or those who properly prepared themselves for grace. But Christian grace is the forgiveness of the wicked (Romans 5:6-10). God does not demand repentance as a precondition of grace, but freely forgives. Jesus died for alldisciples who abandoned him in the hour of his his need (Mark 15:40). As Luther said, "On the part of man, however, nothing precedes grace except indisposition and even rebellion against grace."
Mark McGwire may be a vile, heartless cheater who destroyed baseball (allegedly), but I hope that he makes a great hitting coach.
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About the Author
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- From: mockingbirdnyc
- About Me: WHAT: Mockingbird is a ministry that seeks to connect the historic truths of the Gospel with the realities of everyday life in as down-to-earth a way possible. WHY: Are we called Mockingbird? The name was inspired by the mockingbird’s peculiar gift for mimicking the cries of other birds. In a similar way, we seek to repeat the message we have heard - God’s Word of grace and forgiveness - with the understanding that none of us ever moves beyond our need to hear the basics. HOW: Via every medium available! At present this includes (but is not limited to!) a daily weblog, regular conferences, and an ongoing publications initiative. The deeply relational nature of our message/material also means that everything we do is undergirded and surrounded by as much face-to-face time as possible. WHO: We employ two full-time staff, David Zahl and Sean Norris. We also have a number of contributing volunteers and writers. For more info email: mockingbirdnyc@gmail.com
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Comments (15)
if unconditional grace is what he wants, he can go to God for that. this isn't about repentance, but transparency. if he's innocent, it makes no sense to never say it. it only makes him look more guilty, in addition to looking like he's incapable of taking responsibility for his actions.
and it seems demeaning to God-given grace to compare it to getting a job (which SHOULD, by the way, come with preconditions).
How silly. I agree with @too_pretty_to_die@xanga - it's demeaning to God-given grace to speak of it in these terms. Grace is not granted by doing bad things.
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
All grace is God's grace.
@foxes_have_holes@xanga - I agree. 110 percent. Two wrongs don't make a right, and people do deserve second chances. Obviously there is no way to tell what is in a person's heart, but I wouldn't want to be held responsible for denying a soul of a second chance, especially if they intend to do good after-all, no way do i want that guilt.
Let's see. In baseball, players steal a base, try to steal signs, ghost double plays, try to 'sell' the strike zone (pitchers, catchers, and batters alike), use illegal pitches (spitters anyone?), etc., etc., etc. The whole game is based upon trying to stretch the rules or not get caught violating them. Now, the acts of which Mr. McGwire is alleged to have undertaken were not against the rules of baseball when he was alleged to have done them. So, there is no 'sin' to atone for. And, if taking some drug automatically makes one a 60 home run/season hitter, then why can't I (or everyone else a/k/a Jose Canseco) do it? While the concepts of grace and repentance are good topics, this is a poor example to use.
How about, instead, examining 'thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor'? Or is the demand for contrition a one-way street?
Do you people think that professional golf is not just as infested with performance enhancing drugs???
There is something worse about major league baseball of which McGwire is only a small player. In the 90s, because the league was loosing media share the owners and commissioner decided to change how baseballs were manufactured, winding them tighter to make them hotter, meaning they would go farther when hit. Their hope was that more homeruns would bring back their lost fans. Not many more homeruns were hit in the ensuing season so they had the ball wound still tighter. The most homeruns hit that following year still fell far short of the Roger Maris record. Finally not one, but two players beat Maris' record a couple of years later. Both were on steroids. So we have two juicings of the baseball and two juiced players. Why should their homerun records stand? And the thing is that everyone on the inside knew the new records were bogus. The Maris family appeared to be unhappy about it but with dignity they didn't protest.
Last time I checked, McGwire is an American Citizen. According to our constitution, we are innocent until proven guilty. McGwire has never been found guilty of using steroids, never admitted to it. Perhaps he "sidesteps" the issue to allow it to die, instead of adding fuel to the fire all the time.
The OP seems to have predetermined his guilt, and assaults his character throughout his piece. When we think of steroid use, what difference is there between that and any performance enhancing drugs? Creatine, anyone? Steroids, of themselves, do not a major leauge player make. Are they "illegal" to use? Yes. So if you use them, you break the rules. You sin. Only he and God knows truly whether that has happened.
Before you sit in judgement on someone else, look in the mirror. What sins have you committed lately? Cursed at some idiot driver? Thought another driver was an idiot? Truth is, that guy probably thinks you are an idiot. Speeding? Tailgating? Swiping an ink pen at work? Introducing chemicals and drugs into your body? Caffiene, alcohol, sleeping pills, cigarettes, etc. are all mood changing drugs, even if they are "legal". Remember, there was a time cocaine was legal in this country too.
So what if the guy was the home run king for a few years? Time and age take their toll on all of us. No one gets out of this life alive. Do you think the guy has no skills to teach to others? The OP seems to think he'll be a bad influence on those he instructs, since he ties McGwires alleged steroid use to every other sentence in his piece. Making him the focus of evil and hating on him does no one any good. Why don't you try forgiving and praying for the guy. Isn't that what the Bible tells us to do? Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord? As you forgive others, so shall you be forgiven?
And Todd, when you write such tripe, you give Mockingbird a black eye. You may be a "vile, heartless hater who soils the name of a good ministry", but I hope you repent, and become a good coach of the Word. (Makes as much sense as your last sentence) You see, your pale attempt to paint a portrait of grace for McGwire by the Cardinals is clouded by your bashing and hating on the guy. It is obvious that you think he is guilty and never should have had this opportunity, that somehow the Cardinals are a benevolent caretaker who shelter wayward players. Your whole piece leaves a negative vision of McGwire in the minds of the readers when they ponder your words. That's a pretty lame attempt to give an example of grace.
@TheSutraDude@xanga - " Perhaps he "sidesteps" the issue to allow it to die, instead of adding fuel to the fire all the time."
Great comment. The real question is why can't we do the same thing? Why is it so hard for us to let something die that in the long run isn't even of value?
@wings_01@xanga - Great question. The simple answer, though not 'sexy', is: our own sinful nature.
@wings_01@xanga - That wasn't my comment but I'm always glad to get a pat on the back anyway. :)
@TheSutraDude@xanga - Sorry about that! I'm kind of embarrassed now.
@wings_01@xanga - Haha. No need to be. I've probably done things like that 100 times.
@Ork58@xanga -
The comment that McGwire is a "vile, heartless cheater who ruined baseball" was made tougue-in-cheek, albeit poorly made. It probably should have been in quotes.
The pronounced judgment upon McGwire is the general public's pronouncement of guilt. If everyone thinks you are guilty, then practically speaking you are guilty. Mark McGwire has not been convicted, yet he is still treated as though he is guilty. In light of this public guilt, the Cardinals has shown him grace by giving him a job. The Cardinals do so at the high risk of public backlash (as demonstrated by the desire for justice in the above comments!).
Personally, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds both have my sympathy. Do I think they did it? Probably- though the case against McGwire is far from certain. I hope McGwire becomes the head coach of the Yankees and wins the World Series. No joke. I hope both him and Bonds are elected into the Hall of Fame. If they are guilty, then they justly deserve the punishment they have and will receive, yet Christian love and mercy triumphs over justice. Consequently, the response to alleged or real guilt is not punishment, but grace and forgiveness. Christians do not believe that God gives everyone what they deserve, but that we are shown mercy through Jesus and recieve grace upon grace. We are not held responsible for our actions, but God over-looks our guilt.
McGwire is doing what Jesus did...
keeping his mouth shut when being vilified. Whether he did or did not... He may not even disagree with doping, personally, whether he did or not. Why should he have to agree vocally that such rules are right if he DOESN'T AGREE? Why should he have to admit to 'sinning' to the public when in the U.S. we allow the 5th amendment - the right to avoid self-incrimination?
I'm not saying I know what he thinks, BUT I do know that all of this is, in part, about his right NOT to have to parrot the party line just because most people think that it is what he 'should do'.
And the rest is silence... ?