Celebrity Morality a la Lance Armstrong

Athough being a musician throughout my childhood limited my athletic involvement, I have always been a sports enthusiast and a fan.  Before we got rid of cable I used to love watching ESPN for my daily dose of the sports world.  The abilities and physiques of the premier athletes simply astounds me and I am always quite rapt in my fandom.  I even, against my passenger's wishes, listen to sports talk radio to get my fix.

Over the course of the past couple of weeks, and really the past couple of years, one of the main storylines that has overrun the sports world has been the situation with Lance Armstrong.  Lance is a survivor of cancer, the founder of a huge cancer-fund non-profit, and , coincidentally, the winningest American racer in bicycle history.  His narrative is inspirational and mythic, that was, until the truth of his drug usage came to the forefront.

Recently, he has been stripped of his seven Tour de Frace titles and been banned for life from the professional cycling world for his use of PEDs, particularly blood-doping.  But what has been the proverbial nail-in-coffin for Armstrong has been his long-held vociferious defense that he did not and has never used these substances.  However, as the torrent has enscossed America in his situation, Armstrong did an interview with Oprah in which he finally laid aside the facade and admitted to cheating by drug usage as well as covering it up.

While Armstrong's case is unique because of his rank and status as a celebrity, it is not all that uncommon in the world of sports.  Would-be hall of fame Baseball players who've taken steroids and doping Olympians are but the tip of the iceberg.  However, if we cut through the particulars of the various scenarios, a deeper truth is revealed.

Humans, and Americans in particular, herald greatness.  We think of it as our American right and the very essence of what is great about America.  Be it athletic prowess, musical mastery, politcal power, or even intellectual stature, we are devoted to idols of the court, the stage, the process, and the book.  But we rarely take a look at the value of moral fortitude.  That is, until the celebrity that we've deified does something immoral.  Essentially, the moral integrity of the individual is struck up at the lack of moral fiber in the heralded celebrity.

I find this to be an interesting phenomenon for a number of reasons.  First, it is striking that morality is only ever under consideration when evil morals are under examination.  Consider the recent mass shootings, significant evidences for the presence of evil in the world, but it is only in hindsight and aftermath that the morality of life is ever considered.  This seems, at least to me, to be a lopsided dilemma, like only checking your tires after they've fallen off the axel.

Additionally, and stemming from the previous point, it is an odd thing to exalt a person for their faculties in one area but to judge them in another.  In the case of athletics, America would like to exalt the athlete for their athletic ability only to strike them for their moral failings.  This is like paying someone $10 for an hour's work only to charge them $100 for parking.

The issue at hand, then, is not of the corruption and corruptability of the celebrity it is, rather, a statement about value.  When push comes to shove, morality matters.  Good and evil are real concerns for humanity.  The exposures of the crimes of Nixon, of the betting of Pete Rose, or of the cheating of Lance Armstrong point not to the immorality of these men, although it does to be sure, it points to mankind's earnest inner yearnings for morality and truth.  A yearning that can only be satiated by God, the moral law Giver.

Mining the Gold of Col. 3:1-5

Paul, in Colossians 3:1-5 writes, "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and you life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears you also will appear with Him in glory.  Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

Without question, this is convicting and challenging.  Paul is indicting believers.  It should be noted that he is clearly exhorting those who are believers to devote themselves to God in seeking the things that are above and to put to death their fleshly natures.  This is one of the most concentrated, clearest, and comprehensive presentations of the Christian life-ethic, carried forward through 4:6, in the whole New Testament.  Because of this, it seems a good sequence of verses to briefly take apart for their worth.

At the onset, though this is universal teaching, it is a contingent one: "If you have been raised with Christ," contingent upon belief in Christ Jesus.  Though this may seem trivial, it is of significance when we think about whom these verses address and who is to do these things.  Because Paul is addressing believers it tells us two very basic but important things.  The first is that this sort of radical life focus and ethic is for believers alone.  And secondly, as a result of the previous assertion, believers should not expect unbelievers to live up to God's ethical standards.  Even more so, unbelievers not only will be unable to understand what Paul is asking, they will be utterly unable to fulfill it.

Also, a note about the order here; Paul says, "Seek the things that are above," then, "Set you mind on the things above," and then, "Put to death, therefore." The natural reading of this is somewhat progressive, as in, first seek the things of God, then dwell and think about those things, and then put the sinful self to death.  Although this may seem trivial, it could refer to developmental stages of belief.

If one has come to faith in Christ, through belief and confession, then they are just beginning to seek the things of God.  Whereas someone who has believed and sought should be to the point of contemplating the things of God, the things that have been sought.  Once these things have occurred, that person's desire to live godly will be paired with the equipping that comes from understanding and pursuing God.  These are not necessarily separate events but could be simultaneous.  It is more important to indicate that they are separate aspects of belief.

This is a great passage of Scripture from one of the most beautifully concise books in all of Scripture. Its brevity is only surpassed by its density and theological weight.  The Holy Spirit made no mistakes in the inspiration of Scripture, however, sometimes we, as interpreters, need to slow down our reading as to take in each passage for its worth.  When we take on this sort of hermeneutic we will be surprised constantly at the beauty and design of Scripture.

Pursuit of Righteousness

Much has been made about the pursuit of holiness, that most eager and beneficial quest.  However, the focus on chasing holiness, as it pertains to sanctification, can often neglect another parallel though not synonymous endeavor: the pursuit of righteousness.  Whereas the pursuit of holiness is intent on the purification that is part of sanctification, the pursuit of righteousness is concerned with seeking God's absolute moral good, His justice.

Proverbs says, "Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor (Pro. 21:21)."  Or, as Solomon writes earlier, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Pro. 15:9)." It can be easily seen, then, that pursuing righteousness is both encouraged and rewarded.  It should then seem as no surprise that Paul also exhorted Timothy to pursue righteousness (1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22).

A working definition of righteousness is in order. Righteousness is a character trait possessed by God, referring to His moral perfection.  His righteousness is based on who He is, in that, He is morally perfect and just in His very being.  Thus, the pursuit of righteousness can be summed up as a purposed pursuit of God, particularly of His morality.

The pursuit of righteousness then differs from the pursuit of holiness in that it is based on the specifics of His moral perfection and justice.  Although holiness is intimately tied to this, righteousness is that which is right, and God being ultimately the right, the pursuit of righteousness is the pursuit of God, focused like a lazer on His justice.  Logically, the practical question needs to be asked, "how do you pursue righteousness?"

Because righteousness is defined as the perfect morality and faultless justice of God, the pursuit thereof reflects the fervent study and personal application of God's righteousness.  Luckily, and not surprisingly, the pursuit of righteousness is intricately tied to the study of Christ Jesus.  Think of it, Jesus represents the perfect meting out of God's justice while simultaneously acting as the living example of His absolute moral perfection.

Therefore, the pursuit of righteousness necessitates the study of Jesus as the Christ.  Understanding that Jesus acted out the righteousness of God in that He became the instrument of God's justice, to pursue righteousness is to pursue Christ.  Let us then study, pray, and pursue Christ Jesus so as to seek after the righteousness of God!