The heart of a servant

In 1999, Pastor Rick Ferguson wrote a book entitled “The Servant Principle”.  I’ve been thinking about Pastor Rick lately because no one on Earth could possibly have known that only a few years later – 2002 – Rick was going to enter eternity.  No one would have ever predicted that this was going to happen to him at such a young age (he was 46).  As his family, his church, and his friends came to the realization that they were going to have to live life without him, they were stunned and completely shell-shocked.  As you know, I can certainly relate!

Today, I want to share a quote from Rick’s book.  He wrote, “True servants do not draw attention to themselves.  In fact, they will try to divert the attention away from themselves, pointing instead to Christ and to others.  A true servant is just like John the Baptist, who said of the Lord Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30; KJV)… A servant is willing to serve unnoticed without applause.  Servants never seek any recognition.”

It’s undeniable that my dad was a servant.  He epitomized that quote.  He served without demanding accolades, recognition, or the limelight.  Someone said that he did his duties stealthily or perhaps a good illustration is like a spy.  He would do the job, and then quietly move on, never expecting fanfare, praise, or applause.  In fact, if he did happen to get the praise, he quickly diverted it to God.  Let me tell you a quick story to illustrate.

I don’t recall all of the details, but Dad was able to help someone in his sphere of influence.  Everyone was trying to heap praise upon him, but he wouldn’t have it.  I remember very clearly what he said; he simply declared, “I give God the glory for that.”  That was my dad!  He didn’t hog the spotlight.  He knew that life wasn’t about receiving praise from mankind; it was about serving faithfully without acclaim.

Kevin

Revisiting a Spider-Man quote

In an episode of Spider-Man the animated series, Peter Parker, a man who is used to dealing with adverse circumstances, finds himself completely panic-stricken.  He finds himself framed for a crime that he didn’t commit.  As he contemplates this scary situation, he remarks, “Life is like a thunderstorm.  It’s unpredictable, uncontrollable, sometimes even dangerous.  We’d like to think we have a handle on life; that we are in charge.  Then, without warning, we find out how wrong we really are.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Some of you may recognize that quote as I’ve cited it several times in this blog.  But never in a billion years would I have envisioned that when I first quoted it the path God would eventually have me walk is living a life without my father.  If you want an illustration of just how unpredictable life is, if you want an example of how we are not in charge of life, I invite you to look no further than the death of a 60 year old man who had no signs whatsoever that he was living his last days on this Earth.

 

One of the most arrogant statements I’ve ever heard in my life was when I heard a public speaker state that he “expected” to live to be 100 years old.  Yes, “expect” is the exact word that he used.  What a foolish thing to say!  This experience has taught me afresh that you can’t have a cavalier attitude about life.  Death can come at any age.  It doesn’t say, “Oh, hold on, this person has only lived 6 months, 20 years, 35 years, or 60 years.  I’ll be back later.”  Life is fragile, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.  I have a keychain that has this inscription on it: “Each day is a gift from God.”  Cherish every day for the gift that it is. 

Kevin

Helpful words

Not long ago, I talked about the short-lived TV show “Birds of Prey”.  While some loved the show, others did not.  As for me, even though I am not blind to this show’s flaws, I have to admit that I enjoyed it.

 

In the pilot episode, Helena Kyle, the main character (who happens to be the child of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle), is talking with Barbara Gordon.  For those of you that don’t know, Barbara Gordon used to be Batman’s cohort, Batgirl.  In the show, Barbara was shot in the spine by the Joker, confining her to a wheelchair. Because of this, she was obviously unable to be Batgirl anymore.  However, she is still able to serve Gotham City by aiding Helena in the field with her experience, know-how, and technological expertise.

Helena says to Barbara, “I can’t be who you were.”  These words came to my mind as I continue to deal with the sudden loss of my father.  Barbara responded to Helena’s statement with words that I think my dad would say back to me, if he could.  She said, “Good.  Be yourself instead.”

As I said in my last blog, there’s only one Jerry Bauer.  I could never be my dad.  For instance, I’m a very serious person; Dad was a bit of a class clown.  For instance, upon arriving to his work, he would greet his coworkers, and ask them how they were doing.  After they answered, Dad would reply, “Well, you look terrible.”  Of course, he was kidding and everyone knew it.  In fact, they now acutely miss hearing him say that line.

I don’t have that kind of a sense of humor.  Now that Dad is gone, it would be easy to think, “OK, I need to work on being funnier, like Dad was.”  But my dad would echo the words of Barbara Gordon: “Be yourself instead.”  Years ago, Dr. Pepper ran a slogan that has stuck in my mind all this time.  It simply declared, “Be you.”  Judy Garland put it well when she said, “It’s better to be a first-rate version of yourself than a second-rate version of somebody else.”

Kevin

Not all heroes wear capes

2015 has been a difficult year for me.  I’ve documented some of the ordeals that have come my way.  While all of those trials were legitimate, they seem rather small compared to the news I'm about to share with you.  My father, Jerry, died.  He was only 60 years old.

 

This news is shocking because my father was the model of health.  He ate healthy foods; he exercised regularly; and he had very little caffeine.  Never in a million years would anyone predict that this would happen.  Yes, he had that Melanoma crisis back in May, but that was resolved – that wasn’t the cause.  You may be asking, “What was the cause, then?”  Well, as of right now, the reason eludes us (the autopsy report is still pending).  All we know for sure is his race on this Earth has concluded.

 

Let me move on to the impact that my father, Jerry Bauer, made on me.  In short, he was one of my heroes.  In fact, a couple of years ago, I got him a t-shirt for Father’s Day that had a picture of a man with Superman’s “S” emblem on the chest, and a flowing cape; the caption read: “Dad: Not all heroes wear capes.” 

That shirt is so apropos for my father because, like a superhero, Dad consistently served his wife, family, friends, and coworkers in so many ways, but he refused the credit for doing so.  He was one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever known.  I can't be Jerry Bauer.  He was one of a kind.  But I want to live the rest of my life honoring Dad and his memory by endeavoring to be as selfless, giving, and loving as he was.

Incidentally, his funeral was yesterday, and it was lovely.  I decided to put off blogging about this until after the funeral.  For one thing, we all have been so busy with the thousands of details it takes to put a service like this together.  

While I understand that not everyone who reads these words are praying people, I want to ask that you would please keep the Bauer family in your prayers.  Our worlds have been turned upside down.  Please keep my mother, Rose Mary, in your prayers.  She lost the love of her life.  She was married to my dad for 41 years.  Mom recently said that she felt like she is walking around without a right arm.

I’m sure you want to know how I am holding up.  Of course, I’m grieving and tremendously sad.  This is a road that I never would have signed up to walk.  But, as I’ve said to several people, the hope of Heaven is what is sustaining me.  My father is in Heaven because of his right relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.  Without this truth, I don’t know how I would endure.

  

My top ten list of favorite superheroes (part 2)

Today I’m going to conclude my list of favorite superheroes.  Last time, I listed numbers 10 through 6, this time I will give my top five.

#5: Captain America

It’s interesting that in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” when Ultron sees Captain America for the first time, he actually calls him “God’s righteous man.”  When a sworn enemy has to admit that you are righteous, you are doing something right.  Ultron was on the mark on this point; Captain America is righteous.  “Cap” (as he is often called) is pure, holy, and upright.  He commands respect, not because he verbally asks for it, but just because of the way he carries himself.  I echo what so many others have said over the decades since Cap was created: I want to be like Captain America.

#4: The Flash

It was only a few years ago that I began to appreciate The Flash.  It was thanks to two different TV series simply called “The Flash”.  The first aired back in 1990, but only ran one season.  It starred John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen alias The Flash.  I didn’t see it back then, but I was able to watch it on DVD.  This was the show that introduced to me to Barry Allen’s heroic character.

While I really enjoyed that series, this new series also titled “The Flash” (starring Grant Gustin as Barry Allen) is the superior of the two shows.  In the series premiere, Barry develops the ability to run at incredibly fast speeds (for example, he can run so fast that he can break the sound barrier, which occurs after you exceed 700 miles an hour, I think it is).  Barry decides he wants to use his newfound ability to help people.  After a setback, he travels to Starling City to meet up with someone he knows will understand: Oliver Queen, also known as Green Arrow (because “The Flash” is actually a spin-off of the TV show “Arrow”).  I love the conversation Barry and Oliver have.

“So why come to me?” Oliver asks.  “Something tells me you didn’t run 600 miles to say hi to a friend.”  “I’m just not sure I’m like you, Oliver,” Barry replies.  “I don’t know if I can be some vigilante.”  “You can be better,” Oliver responds.  “Because you can inspire people in a way I never could.  Watching over your city, like a guardian angel; making a difference; saving people in a flash.”  Oliver is right.  Like any great superhero, Barry Allen/The Flash inspires me.

#3: Superman

I have such respect for Superman.  Not too long ago, I purchased some Superman attire that has nothing but Superman’s “S” emblem inscribed on it.  Whenever I wear it, I always feel like I have to stand a little straighter, and act in an exceptionally upright manner.  I say this because Superman is good, moral, and honorable.  Simply put, he is the epitome of what it means to be a superhero.  If Superman is anything, he is a yardstick to gauge ourselves against.  As Jor-El (Superman’s Kryptonian father) told his son in the film “Man of Steel”, “You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards.”  Some dislike that “Man of Steel” movie; even so, you cannot deny that Jor-El is absolutely right.

Note: #2 and #1 on my list are really, really close.  I love each of these final two characters so much.  But ultimately, I finalized my list in the following order…

#2: Spider-Man

If I were asked to describe Spider-Man in one word, it would be the word “relatable.”  Why? How could it be that a guy who has the ability to climb up walls, and shoot out webs is relatable?  Because Spider-Man (alias Peter Parker) deals with problems that everyone deals with.  He has trouble making enough money to live.  He strikes out with members with the opposite sex.  He battles with insecurities and self-pity.  He experiences problems, frustrations, and disappointments.

I love Peter/Spider-Man because he often gets fed up with the difficulties in his life; he wants to quit being a masked hero and live a normal life.  But he doesn’t.  He continues to fight, no matter how challenging his life becomes.  He learned the hard way that “with great power comes great responsibility.”  If more people followed Peter Parker’s example of persevering rather than quitting at the first sign of trouble, this world would be a better place.

#1: Batman

Batman is extraordinary.  He can beat you in so many ways.  He can defeat you physically in a fight (with dozens of different types of fighting styles, I might add).  But he can also defeat you mentally.  He is a brilliant strategist that can outsmart any opponent, without ever having to resort to throwing a punch.  And he also has that brilliant analytical mind of his that can solve crimes (he is the world’s greatest detective, after all).  Essentially, Batman is Sherlock Holmes, Jackie Chan, Rocky Balboa (a formidable athlete with a tremendous will to never quit), Ken Jennings (the guy who won 70 something times on “Jeopardy”), and Tony Stark all rolled up into one person.

Some don’t consider Batman a superhero because he doesn’t possess powers.  These people are mistaken.  Batman has many special abilities that other people simply don’t have.  Did you notice that I mentioned Tony Stark earlier?  I did so because I wanted to underscore Batman’s brilliance, but also because Tony/Iron Man is a good case study in this discussion.  Tony Stark doesn’t have any superhuman powers per se, but he is a superhero because he possesses an incredible skill to do what many cannot do: create all those amazing Iron Man suits.  Therefore, if you want to claim that Batman isn’t a superhero you have to conclude that Iron Man isn’t a superhero, either.

One last thing: I also give Batman extra points for his alter ego.  Technically, Batman is the true face; Bruce Wayne is the facade.  He pretends to be a bored, spoiled, carefree billionaire, but his real face is the one who delivers justices in the cape and cowl of the Batman.  He is such a great actor that few think there’s any connection between Bruce Wayne and Batman.  It’s a brilliant cover!

Kevin

My top ten list of favorite superheroes

I’ve wanted to write a blog where I submit my list of favorite superheroes for a while now.  I was finally able to do so.  Incidentally, please don’t get bent out of shape if I don’t have your favorite hero on my list, or if the hero is higher or lower than you think they should be.  Once again, this is my list.  It’s based solely on my personal opinion.  Nothing more.  For the sake of length, I’m going to give five today, and the other five in the next blog installment.  Here we go:

#10: Wonder Woman

Contrary to what some think, there are women superheroes.  I could rattle off dozens of female superheroes, but the most popular is Wonder Woman.  She is bright, strong, and capable.  Let me underscore how formidable she is in a battle: in an episode of “Justice League”, while under a spell, she fought Superman.  Not only did she hold her own, but after coming back into her right mind, she asks Superman, “Did I hurt you?”  “Let’s just say that I’m glad we’re normally on the same side,” Superman replies.

I love that one of Wonder Woman’s weapons is what is called the lasso of truth.  If you bind someone in this lasso, it forces them to tell the truth.  Isn’t that a great contraption?  Truth is powerful, and Wonder Woman gets it with her special lasso.

#9: Daredevil

Daredevil is just such an interesting, unique, and creative hero.  By day, he’s Matt Murdock a defense attorney.  By night, he’s clad in a mask and calls himself Daredevil.  He’s smart, agile, and tough.  But the most compelling aspect of this character is that Murdock lost his sight when he was a boy.  The same accident that took away his sight also honed his remaining senses to the point of being considered superhuman.  He can, for example, hear if someone’s heart is beating excessively, from across the room.  He has, as Spider-Man thought to himself when he first met him, a “sixth sense about everything.”

It would be far better to watch Daredevil in action than rely on my inadequate description of him.  The guy traverses on rooftops with no troubles whatsoever.  He holds his own when he fights criminals.  He doesn’t just survive living as a superhero, he thrives.

#8: Iron Man

Tony Stark, the man inside the suit dubbed Iron Man, is not without his problems.  He is arrogant, showy, and a womanizer, to name a few.  But one also cannot deny that Stark is a brilliant man.  You can’t create those amazing Iron Man suits that he creates without being brilliant.  Further, when things get serious, when lives are on the line, Stark is able to put himself in the background and focus on saving the day.  Sometimes this may involve him making the decision to literally give his life for others.

For example, in the film “The Avengers” Captain America spouts these words to Tony, “The only thing you really fight for is yourself.  You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play.  To lay on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.”  But, at the film’s end, Tony proves that he is willing to sacrifice.  Just in case you’ve never seen the movie, I won't reveal the details (by the way, if you haven’t seen this movie, I suggest you do so; it’s one of the greatest superheroes movies ever made), but Stark’s act of self-sacrifice is inspiring.  In fact, in the chapter selection this portion of the film is actually entitled “The Sacrifice Play.”  No, he doesn’t literally die (he is, after all, in “Age of Ultron”), but he was certainly ready to do so.

#7: Green Lantern

Imagine that there was a group of interplanetary warriors who defended the universe from the threat of evil.  That’s the premise of what is called the Green Lantern Corps.  There are thousands of Green Lantern’s that are chosen to fight for every section of the universe.

 

So who protects Earth?  There have been several over the years.  My favorite is Hal Jordan.  Each Green Lantern wears a ring that gives them the power to create whatever item they desire from it (this is called a “construct”) using just their will.  What I love about Hal Jordan is he is a hero even without a fancy ring.  In the animated film: “Green Lantern: First Flight” Hal showcases his valor by fighting for right, even (temporarily) without his ring.

#6: Huntress

This one may be a stretch for you, but remember, this is my list.  In the short-lived TV show “Birds of Prey” that ran back in 2002, Helena Kyle is Huntress (played capably by actress Ashley Scott).  Helena is the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.  This is a character that was originally introduced in a comic book storyline.  Incidentally, there is another version of the Huntress character named Helena Bertinelli, but this isn’t the Huntress that I’m referring to here. 

Some didn’t care for this TV show (it only lasted one season), and while I would definitely concede that it was far from perfect, I still liked it.  I enjoyed the idea that Batman’s daughter was the one that defended Gotham City - along with allies Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance.

While there were many memorable moments in that season of “Birds of Prey” one of the highest moments of heroism was in an episode entitled “Prey for the Hunter”.  An evil meta-human surfaces (by the way, I didn’t come up with that term “meta-human”; I think it means someone with more than human attributes; a superhuman).  He has the ability to mirror the abilities of other meta-humans.  He absorbs Helena’s abilities (since she is a meta-human herself).  Helena decides on a selfless course of action.  “There’s only one way for this to end,” she states to Barbara Gordon.  “Like you said, I can’t beat him, but he can’t beat me, either.  We’re going to have to go down together…If I don’t stop him, he’ll keep on killing, I can’t let him do that.”  The villain is defeated without it coming to that, but I was so impressed with her willingness to give her own life like that.

To be continued!

Kevin

"Just one more thing"

I’ve previously mentioned in this blog that I like detective shows.  There’s something about a detective outsmarting the villain, and managing to uncover the truth that thrills me.  One of the detective shows from yesteryear is “Columbo”.  The main star, Columbo, was famous for ending the conversation, beginning to walk away, only to turn around and say, “Oh, just one more thing.”  That “one thing” was often a very important statement.

That’s how I feel as I begin this blog.  You see, last time, I wrote about several important topics, but among them, I stated that I would mention to my younger self how sin has a huge price tag.  You can go down that path, but it will inevitably cost you.  This is undeniably true, yet I feel like I need to add “one more thing” that is tremendously important – I can hardly believe that I didn’t mention it before.  There is an incredible joy, liberation, and freedom that washes over you when you choose to confess your sins to God.

The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NKJV).  Isn’t that a beautiful truth from the Word of God?  Another translation puts it this way: “But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us.  We can trust God to do this.  He always does what is right.  He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.”

 

Some believe that you can reach a place of sinless perfection on this Earth, the Bible disagrees.  The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  I admit that I have chosen sin in my life.  I’m not proud of it.  As I said before, it’s never really enjoyable; shame, regret, guilt, pain, and heartache are the inevitable byproducts, but yes, I have certainly chosen sin.  Yet I’ve learned that you have to come to the place where you stop wallowing in the painful reality that you made the wrong choice, and instead choose to do what the Bible says to do: confess those sins to God.

I love Psalm 32.  This is a Psalm where David basks in how wonderful it is to be forgiven by God.  Psalm 32 begins this way: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!  Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!  When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.  Day and night Your hand of discipline was heavy upon me.  My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.  Finally, I confessed my sins and stopped trying to hide my guilt.  I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”   And You forgave me!  All my guilt is gone” (verses 1-5; NLT).  Every Christian can echo these words.  I know I certainly can.

Kevin