Are You Locked In?

Not to ruin it for you, but last night’s episode of the show “House” featured a patient suffering from “locked-in syndrome”. The character, portrayed by hip-hop star Mos Def, was almost completely paralyzed. He could only communicate through blinking his eyes. The paralysis was supposedly a side effect of Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease carried most commonly through animal urine. With that disgusting side note behind us, I will further discuss locked-in syndrome. Caused by a brain stem lesion, locked-in syndrome has been described as “the closest thing to being buried alive”. Imagine being completely awake and aware, yet unable to use any of your voluntary muscles. Your cognitive functioning is in full working order, yet you remain trapped within your own body. It’s pretty scary stuff.
In 1999, 16-year-old Erik Ramsey suffered a stroke after a car accident that led to locked-in syndrome. He is now working with doctors to develop a communication system that uses a computer to translate electronic brain signals in to words and sounds. Currently, Erik can only communicate by moving his eyes up or down. While Erik most likely yearns for the ability to speak, so many of us remain silent. We lie still, as if we are slaves to our bodies. Each of us has the ability to incite change and bring hope in to this world. I constantly go back to Romans 12 in which Paul talks about us all being part of the body of Christ. The gospel should not be locked in the body of Christ. We should be using every resource, ability, and gift that we have in order to be Jesus in this world.

Spider-man is From Thailand?

I had a few stories and illustrations to choose from this week. Because I decided to end last week’s entry with a quote from the amazing Spider-man, I am starting where I left off with a real life story featuring Spider-man. Yes, you read that correctly. A REAL LIFE SPIDER-MAN saved a boy in Bangkok, Thailand. The boy, afflicted with autism, climbed out of a classroom window and on to a third-floor window ledge. It was the boy’s first day at a special needs school. His new teachers tried their best to convince the boy to come back inside, but he continued to cry and ignored them. A comment by the boy’s mother regarding his love for comic book super heroes inspired fireman Somchai Yoosabai to run back to the fire station in order to change in to a Spider-man costume. The costume, typically used to entertain children during fire drills, comforted the boy. When the boy saw Spider-man holding a glass of juice for him, he quickly threw himself in to the firefighter’s arms. If this doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, I worry about you.
I could see myself in the same situation as a boy. I don’t know that I would have climbed out on to a window ledge, but I did have some scary first days at new schools and I still love Spider-man to this day. Throw in juice and you’d have my unconditional support. Today, when I am feeling scared and alone, I try to throw myself in to the arms of Jesus. Despite what many people in the world say, Jesus is real. John 1:1 states that he was God in the flesh. Luke 24:34 informs us that he is the risen Lord. Jesus is our savior (Acts 5:30-32) and he came to die for sinners (Rom. 5:8). We today need to look at Jesus with more love and adoration than a young boy who sees Spider-man holding a glass of juice. There are a lot of people out there claiming to have the answers and purporting to show the way to the “good life”. Jesus is the only way. He is our super hero.

Above Average

This morning I read an article about a 6-year-old named Pranav Veera that has an IQ of 176. According to the USA Today article, Pranav can recite the names of the U. S. Presidents in the order that they served in office. He can also say the alphabet backwards and if given a date back to 2000, Pranav can tell you the day of the week on which the date fell. One person in 1 million has an IQ of 176 or above. It is said that Albert Einstein’s IQ was 160 while the average IQ is 100. Pranav, just a few months past age 4, could recall the colors of various sets of alphabets. His photographic memory makes it difficult for his family to keep his attention and spur Pranav on towards more learning. Despite his above average intelligence, Pranav plays like an average 6-year-old. He climbs on the monkey bars and enjoys playing the Nintendo Wii. Pranav’s parents hope to keep him “as normal as possible” by considering his social needs.
Quite a few individuals have told me that the story of Jesus seems like a fairy tale or comic book story. God comes to Earth in the form of a human and walks among us. He walks, eats, sleeps, and participates in all the mundane activities of every day human life. Hebrews 4:15 states that we have someone “who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin”. It was completely necessary that Jesus took the form of a man. He taught us at our level, leading a perfect example and showing us that it is possible to live free of sin. As difficult as it might be for Pranav to fit in among his peers, imagine how difficult it must have been for the creator of the universe to become a lowly Homo Sapien. No matter where you fall on the IQ scale, you have to appreciate this act. You also should be aware that Jesus could have done anything he wanted with his power but he used it to help people. We might not have IQs of 176, but we have great power. And, as the immortal Spider-man says, “With great power comes great responsibility”.

How to Really Beat the Dealer

I have found myself fascinated with the concept of card counting. Apparently, American mathematician Dr. Edward O. Thorp is considered to be the father of card counting. He wrote a book entitled “Beat the Dealer” that outlined various strategies for one to use in the game of blackjack. Various individuals have been incredibly successful in the game of blackjack before the publication of this book. Al Francesco invented blackjack team play and taught Tommy Hyland and the infamous Ken Huston how to count cards. Huston became the subject of a 60 Minutes feature. Teams run by these men, along with various groups from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are said to have earned millions of dollars through blackjack play. The MIT students are the subject of two films: “The Last Casino” and the more recent film “21”. These films, along with many others highlighting the world of gambling have sparked my interest.
Though interested, I’ve never been one to gamble, as I am well aware of its possible consequences. One risks losing his or her hard earned money and can lose much more in what can become a powerful addiction. I am not writing this particular article to expose the dangers and evils of gambling, though they exist. I am writing to make known the hazard of gambling with aspects of one’s life that are beyond money. We are often guilty of giving our effort, attention, love, etc. to anything but God. In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus tells us to “seek first” the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He tells us to stop worrying about the things that the “pagans seek”. Everything in this world fades and is far from flawless. We need to invest more of ourselves in the sure bet that is our Lord and master. We can discover systems, but in the end everything is meaningless without God.

Oh Mandy, You Came to the Mall. Now We’re Aching.

This is probably one of the oddest illustrations I’ve ever used. Something struck me about an article I read this morning that reflects an issue I find to be too prevalent in our world. Maybe I am really reaching here, but you can be the judge of that. An article from the MSNBC web site states that the New Zealand city of Christchurch is having problems with unruly teenagers in their outdoor malls. The teens “spread rubbish, spray graffiti, get intoxicated, use drugs, swear and intimidate patrons”. It’s shocking, right? What makes this world news is the method being used to hopefully get rid of or at least pacify the teens. The malls are planning to use the “smooth, gentle tones” of Barry Manilow’s music as a weapon against the teenagers. You read that right. Barry Manilow is expected to alter the behavior of teenagers. If it works, I will have to stand and applaud the progressive city of Christchurch. If not, they might have to enact my plan to forbid the sale of caffeine to minors. My Plan C involves elderly citizens giving them hugs.
I know the theories and explanations for it, but I will never fully understand why some people’s favorite pastime is to bother and frustrate others. I know I was a weird kid (and still am), but I didn’t spend my time pushing boundaries and people’s patience. Though I constantly argued with my father about going to church services and Bible studies, I truly believe that well-spent time helped shape me in to the person I am today. 2 Tim. 3:16 states, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” While there are many useful techniques that can reform one’s behavior, there is no instructional manual or Manilow album that can be compared to the Bible. Spend your time and your family’s time in scripture. You won’t regret it.