Lost Marbles: Whispers are voices stuck in a moment

The phenomenon of ‘the Whispers’ capture the imagination from the very early and more eery moments of Lost Season 1.  Alone in the jungle, just as danger is approaching, whispers begin to emerge, sometimes soloesque growing into a chorus of quiet loudness, but eery all the same.

Season 6 reveals what and whose the whispers are.  (Spoiler alert!)

I’m reminded of something Shane Claiborne said in “Irresistable Revolution”  … he talked about Mother Teresa, and how she was Eulogized as “a voice for the voiceless”.  He said it bothered him to hear that…because she never considered anyone voiceless, she just took the time to stop the noise of the world to hear them and love them with dignity. 

Draft Day for Mentors: A story with 32 Chapters/240 potential protagonists

Sometimes it takes seeing one of your dreams come true to realize your dream wasn’t big enough. 

1 Thursday this summer, I sat with Richard Collier.   2 years ago this month- while fighting to start his 2nd straight game at Left Tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, BigRich had his career halted and life nearly ended when he was shot 14 times, leaving him partially paralyzed and without 1 of his legs.  He was with me in jail….  talking about choices, forgiveness, and redemption to 75 soon-to-be-released youth offenders at a high security facility where only 4 of the 75 boys said they had grown up with their fathers.   I looked around  and realized I’d never seen a room of juvenile felony offenders so moldable and responsive to a male role model. 

The next Monday, I sat in a circle of 25 guys.  16 foster kids ages 9-16, 6 NFL players ages 22-27, and 3 of us regular guys.  We were spending time with the kids in either 1:1 or 1:2 groups trading stories about our strengths and weaknesses.  At the end of the night-like they had the past 10 Mondays- the kids thanked all the guys, circled up for prayer, and said “See you next Week!” with smiles on all their faces. 

 Friday came around.  We’d been at this for 54 weeks, hitting foster homes and juvie centers with young NFL players and the volunteer mentors they’d mobilized and inspired with their valuable time and large platform of  influence.  But at the end of this workweek, several news stories about these mentoring efforts hit local and national media outlets.  That- and the news about Don Miller’s ”Living a Better Story” Seminar sparked me to consider dreaming a lot bigger. 

Lost Marbles: Flawed by father issues

On the eve of what amounts to my first Father’s Day (Rachel’s over 8 months pregnant), I’m reminded of something Krista Tippet from NPR said regarding Lost- “these are flawed characters who are figuratively ‘lost’ in life who become literally ‘lost’ in the world, & when they find themselves figuratively, they’ll find themselves literally on the earth.

With that in mind, I’d like to spend several weeks, months, years, looking back at the 6 seasons of Lost… and how the vast majority of the main characters had issues with Fatherlessness, and how they handled those issues determined their own personal stories, and the role they played in the larger story. 

Jack- was on Oceanic 815 because of his dead father, Christian- an alcoholic who’d died in Sydney. obvious theme of the entire series- (coming to grips with his dad was the litmus test that propelled Jack to leadership, & it was touching his dad’s coffin that triggered full recollection of the Island in the flash sideways).

Locke- grew up fatherless- but his dad Anthony Cooper tracked him down late in life, befriended him, conned him into donating a kidney, then crippled him in a confrontation by throwing him out a window.

Sawyer- his dad committed a murder/suicide to James’ mother. this propelled him into a life of conning, crime,& murder.

Hurley: his dad had left his mom when he was younger but reappeared when Hurley won the lottery. Hugo had real problems in life finding real friends & acceptance, had a serious eating disorder, &also struggled with insanity, depression, & suicidal thoughts.

Ben Linus: father blamed him for his mothers death in childbirth. wad an alcoholic, & Ben eventually killed him as part of his initiation into the “Others.”

My Christmas wish for Jacksonville: Embrace Richard Collier

Richard Collier showed up at the Jaguars game Thursday night, serving as honorary captain and called the coin toss.  The fan reaction to him was moving.  On September 2, 2008, he was shot 14  times, which left him paralyzed from the waste down and ultimately cost him over half of his left leg. 

I was at the game with 2 of my friends.  The atmosphere was electric- he later said that it was the first time any crowd had ever chanted his name.   

Collier said he’d be a Jaguar for life.  In 10 years, pretty much 95-100% of the Jaguars team and coaches will have turned over and moved on. 

This town may not get the chance to chant his name en masse ever again, but we have a chance to do so much more than that.   I was praying one night at one of our services….and big Rich’s plight entered my mind.  Here’s a guy who survived 14 gunshots in Florida’s murder capital.  He has a really difficult road ahead of him.  It’s my prayer that he finds a church family here and feels embraced by our city, one citizen at a time.  

I sit with Nick Kelco every week and pray.  He survived 10 gunshots, and I tell him all the time that God kept him alive for a reason.  I’m sure the same is true for Rich.  Maybe as a former pro athlete, he can be an advocate for victims of violence in our city and beyond.  Until then, he’s got some advocates on his side…many of us here in the Jag nation who will have a chance to support you over the months and years to come….Merry Christmas Rich.  May God bless you and be your Prince of Peace this season and way beyond.