Whiter than snow - week 20

This week is about Nathan the prophet. The author gives us a very clear picture of a simple, un-pretentious man who heard God and did what he was told. “Thou art the man” he told David. This is a very gutsy move on his part. I rank it right up there with Esther going to the king for Mordicai. When I read in the Bible of people like Esther and Nathan, I always wonder what I would do in the same situation. I think this is an important question to ask. “What would I do?” I think it is important to ask because my tendancy has always been to compare myself to others and usually the comparison is for the purpose of making me either look better of feel better. “Whew, thank God I’m not like that person” or “I am glad I don’t’ struggle with that problem” are some of the nicer things I’ve thought.


What this week’s lesson has done is to bring into focus a very real problem for me. I am no different than anyone else in this regard. All people have problems and God loves all people and desires that no one should perish. I need to see people through God’s eyes. All people, even Mike Tyson.

Julia and I record TV shows during the day and then we watch them in the evening. We like to watch Oprah and last week Oprah interviewed Mike Tyson. I like boxing and Mike Tyson was one of the most fearsome fighters I’ve ever seen. He was powerful, mean and virtually unbeatable. I didn’t like him at all. I didn’t know anyone that liked him. In fact, I hated the guy. I wanted to see him destroyed in the ring. He was beaten by Buster Douglas in a famous fight in the early 90’s. After that, “Iron Mike” went downhill and finally ended up in prison. Good ridance or so I thought. When I saw that Oprah was going to have “Iron Mike” on her show I thought it would be interesting to watch it. So we did. And did God ever touch my life through the show.

Julia and I sat there riveted to the screen unable to turn away while Mike Tyson poured out his soul to a national audience. The pain this man suffered as a boy growing up was unbearable. He recounted time after time incidents that happened in his life and how the one man who offered any help to him (Gus Dematto) or showed him any concern at all, taught him to be a warrior. He taught him to fight. Gus died in 1985 and Mike was on his own. Here was a 20 year old kid that earned 300 Million dollars with no guideance and a heart full of pain. As he described his life and how he has changed, you could see his contrite heart. He lost his 4 year old daughter to a terrible accident. As a young boy he raised pet pigeons. A bully came into his house and killed them all right in front of his eyes and Mike made a vow that no one would ever bully him again. They didn't.

As he recounted these incidents and what prison did to him, the tears would not stop flowing. Here was “Iron Mike Tyson” as a broken man of 43 trying to get his life back together. Julia and I were stunned. There were tears in her eyes and I was just as moved. My thoughts went to my judgement of Mike Tyson. I judged him with a harsh judgement that had no mercy or offered no grace. Why? Because I thought I was clearly better than him. Oh how wrong can a person be.

Julia and I were both affected by the show. But there is more to the story. I saw a news blurb in the paper last Friday about Evander Holifield appearing on the Oprah show with Mike Tyson to reconcile. (They had a famous fight where Mike bit Evander on his ear). Mike had spoken of this incident on his earlier appearance. He mentioned he apologized but it wasn’t sincere and he wished he could sit down with Evander and talk about it. Evander saw the show, called Oprah and she brought them together. Again, it was a riviting moment. Evander as a Christian had forgiven Mike and the reconciliation was complete.

What is my take away from this week’s lesson? That I am a person like others. I have issues, they have issues. All people need God and God needs His people to walk with their eyes open and a heart towards seeing other’s as He does. If we can do that, then we can truly say we are followers of Christ.

Oh Lord, please allow me the grace to see others as you do. Please allow me to offer grace and mercy when no one else will. I need that and I know others need it, so help me be that person that makes a differnce in someone’s life today because I had the courage to see them as you do and to act on that with the love of God.