A Little Guidance from the Professionals

Yesterday evening I received some good life perspective from none other than my favorite professional sport, hockey. I was watching the lowly LA Kings at Edmonton Oilers. This was one of those games that the Rogers Place faithful were expecting to be another celebration  – perhaps complete with some more expensive hats littering the ice as one of the heroes would do another hat trick, because after all, you know, when the best team in the world (really?) plays a lesser team it’s party time, yes?  No.

Third period, with things going not quite as planned and the Oilers behind by a goal, Connor McDavid pulls an uncharacteristic boner. He nails Adrian Kempe against the boards, with a hit ‘in the numbers’ (middle of his back) which yielded a good rub on the boards and a bloody nose, always ticket to a 5 minute major penalty. Well, referees confer, the hit was a bit high, therefore video review. After review it is determined this infraction needed the more incriminating label – boarding! The world’s best hockey player got himself a game misconduct! Excuse my smile as I type away here a bit. 😐

It is at this point that the game changer came on - for both teams. Not a whole lot of animosity between these teams, Kempe just skated away with a red mouthed smile on his face. He had drawn a penalty, now putting his team at advantage for a while. That's hockey. Connor McDavid, by now the gentleman and professional athlete that he is, stood at the exit gate, facing the cameras and a hushed crowd, awaiting the review. When the expected verdict is delivered the fans do their noisy beer protest, the coach gives an earful to the refs, and we see #97 walk the gangway to the dressing room. Down by one goal the Oilers seem resigned to their fate. The ending was as anticipated: Kings 5; Oilers 1.

Wanting to catch a little drama about all of this, I was eager to hear what Coach Dave Tippett might have to say at the post game RAW - the media scrum. Coach looked 'em square in the eye, and calmly spoke his assessment; the team not making quite enough effort not only this game but already last several games; some bad penalties taken, a challenge which needs to be addressed. Almost disappointed was I, and probably the reporters and a thousand or two of fans listening to the coach not even draw steam out of McDavid’s boarding call! 

Very obviously here we had demonstration of the best of professional hockey! Coach Tippet honored the media by answering their questions, he spoke frankly and without embarrassment or fluster, no individuals blamed or praised, simply a statement about some things they as a team needed to address. And no reference to the referees’ unpopular penalizing of his star player. Dave Tippett modeled something many of us need to emulate. He spoke matter-of-factly, applicable to all members of his hockey team, all listening fans, and even Oilers and NHL upper management. A professional was doing his job. There is some life guidance available here.

Kudos also to McDavid the way he exited the game. No unnecessary drama, just a disappointed calm face ready for whatever the consequences, fully aware of possible implications for the team. You could feel that the whole team knew they were in this one all together. Lord knows they knew there have been many games won by the sheer brilliance and skill of this one being censored! There is some life guidance available here.

 

So what is gained by drama and grandstanding? There are many coaches and many players in many sports who depend on it. I wrote about that in a recent post (When Heroes Need Help, Oct 20). Sitting in front of my television last night I knew there was something to learn here. I confess this emotive adrenalin category is also my DNA. My wife (bless her longsuffering soul) often endures my dramatic critiques of inadequate choices made by family members, friends in neighborhood, church or faith community. And then I romanticize distant memories of how we used to do it the right way, etc. etc. Many of those memories now serve as sentimentalisms and regularly show up in my dreams at night. Yes, there are different ways of retiring, and many things to think about, especially amid coronavirus restrictions! Retirement thoughts not at all unrelated to this game of hockey.

I just read a book by Darrel Heidebrecht [i], a friend of mine also recently retired.  He has written about Restorative Justice, a career path which circumstantially (providentially?) absorbed almost all of his adult working life. Abe Janzen, former Director of Mennonite Central Committee Alberta (another retiree also thinking many things 😏) writes about it this way in the Forward, "It’s a life-long journey through the politics, the noble intentions, the failures, and the learnings…” What intrigues me about Darrel’s book is that his rather visionary lifework has been a series of organizational recalibrations helping institutions to understand each other; this accomplished in what appears to be quite a professional manner. I relate easily to his faith and his idealism which brought him endlessly among offenders, prisoners, courthouses and church meetings. Only after reading his book now do I realize this has been a lifetime of restraint, en-process a journey of help to those he deeply cared for. I can now visualize him in many a meeting, like Dave Tippett giving good description of what's happening on the ground, and such and such changes need to be made. Ironically, if he had been bound up too tightly with any one of the organizations he related to, he would have been but a placard waving social activist, showing up at protests and demonstrations here there and everywhere. There are many environments that require professionalism.

So here I am today, quite impressed by a couple of sport professionals doing their jobs par excellence, and also by a friend having worked with professional restraint, not within one institution, but collaborating among many! Within this packet there is need for grace, and a timely reminder of our need for God's grace. 😏 Very impressive to me are these illustrations of restraint and professionalism, illustrating also a need for this grace so easily accessed by any with faith. Ephesians 2:8-10 comes to mind, especially  ⁹ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. In professionalism there is also a winsome nudge towards humility. At end of this day I am encouraged to say there are still some very good and creative ways to git 'er done.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?                1 Corinthians 12:15-17. 

Today this retiree still thinking about many things is happy for a little guidance from the kingpins of a very good hockey club, and from a good friend who has created a little more peace in this world. 

 

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[i] A Little more Peace in the World  (Calgary: self published, www.littlerockprinting.com, 2021)

 

Underground Economy

Recently I submitted our trusty old vacuum cleaner to one of our local businesses for some maintenance and a little repair. I utilize his services because I enjoy patronizing local as well as nurturing relationship with the proprietor who has become a friend over the years. When I lightheartedly protested his rather high fee, his too quick comeback was, “for cash you can give me …” I responded, “No I’ll use my credit card and pay the GST, and you can pay your taxes.” He smiled, obviously getting my message. On the spot, without any premeditation on my part, he now knew this friend is not one who might help him cheat the government out of what he needs to pay to stay in business.

This reminds me of a number of years ago, speaking with my brother about his business dealings here there and everywhere back in hometown Saskatchewan. He was telling me about some of his creative neighborly entrepreneurial activities which he openly labeled as underground economy. He is a charming relational person with many friends both in ‘high and low places’ (Garth Brooks?😊) and this is simply how he gets along. Come to think of it, I could now cite considerable other examples of people ‘making casual money.’ Over the years I have listened to many stories definitely among family members, often dramatically told among truck driver friends, and interestingly quite recently among fellow retirees - most of these fellow Christians, church members even! These cash deals are the fee for services in their area of expertise at reduced special rates. Good deal for all of us, yes? Who of us, especially of the Mennonite persuasion, does not appreciate a good deal? 

Aah there is the rub. I do not like this. And my dislike is coming to the fore especially as I hear this coming from fellow somewhat well heeled retirees. Many of these have already raised families and I wonder what is the mantra going forward in the headspaces of the next generation? Hey my friends, is this what we have taught our children? I am aware this may be my concern and my concern alone, not yet discussed with many around me. But here I am once more thinking about things. Many of you know my line, “I says it as I sees it." As a retired preacher I sometimes venture outside or slightly beyond the party lines. I am free to do that. Thank God we don't have thought control just yet, although artificial intelligence is working at it. Seems to me this one is about plain old personal integrity. 

Integrity also being challenged, well illustrated these last two years with coronavirus protocol. As the virus is making itself at home not only in our country but worldwide, there is of course a never ending cacophony of official and unofficial statements of numbers up or down, variants and vaccines, and of course enforcement or encouragement of lifestyle adjustments. Almost every change in protocol regulations is then followed by a yammer of self-righteous souls expressing their displeasure either with government or health care or church or other officials who got it all wrong, can’t you see! [This afternoon I walked across a piece of sidewalk with an offensive stencil, “vaxxing doesn’t work.” It was in capitals but I will not give it that much visibility here on my blog]. I mention our coronavirus chaos only to illustrate what threatens when new circumstances enter into already learned behavior patterns. 

The focus here is mainly on this illegal freedom of underground economy. The context obviously is us, all of us citizens, in this country at least, living with a democratically elected government mandated to provide all the necessities (comforts?) of an increasingly spoiled, self-righteous populace. The logic of democracy is that the chosen government has the authority to make decisions like the ones just mentioned. It has the responsibility to govern within parameters of our constitution. Within this populace, even those of religious persuasion also have teachings which would support this, eg Christians have Romans 13 in their Bible, Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities.  Even among denominational and interfaith variations there is probably agreement on an organizing principle here. So whether borne of logics or of religion, I submit that it behooves us, the citizenry, to think and act for the good of all.  Who then has the right to complain about Canada Emergency Response Benefits (CERB), about government childcare and taxes and/or incentives to support businesses and/or employment recovery? We all have the right actually. We can complain and we can vote, but we do not have the right to break the law especially if we think ourselves honorable citizens.

Now back to my opener about these little illegal freedoms. When half the country believes it’s okay to screw the government out of its rightful way of collecting the revenue to accomplish a mandated job it becomes a moral issue. And here these next several sentences my very own, I am appalled at some of my friends, Christian pro-private enterprise fellows who participate in shady income tax evasive schemes as though this is a legitimate protest against government. Yes, some of them even seek to justify former U.S. President Donald Trump not having paid income tax for eighteen years in his previous lifetime when he was a successful businessman! I shudder at this skewed logic! As a socialist Christian (Yes that’s me. See my recent post, “Private Enterprise Welfare,” Nov. 13) I also have some reserve about some of my 'progressive' brothers and sisters in my faith community deliberately avoiding income (at least on their tax returns, sometimes also by creative bookkeeping) to avoid paying war taxes. This is an occasion where I wish that we as Christians might take some healthy moral leadership rather than slimey tax evasion tactics. Faith based living can be a powerful contributor to mutual wellbeing in society around us. On this topic I recommend some further reading, Advocating for Peace: Stories from the Ottawa Office of Mennonite Central Committee, 1975 - 2008, by William Janzen (Kitchener, Pandora Press, 2019).

By virtue of personal faith claims we are no better and no worse than those who have no faith at all. It's our actions that matter. Would that the actions of us in faith communities, regardless of political leaning, not make fools of all of us! I find it interesting that in three of the gospels Jesus gives a consistent response to the question about taxes.“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him. (Mark 12:17, cf  Matthew 22:21; Luke 20:25).  To those of us in the socialist persuasion I would say, Jesus knew the craftiness in the question. His answer suggests not to be presumptuous and be careful in claiming to know what belongs to God and to Caesar. I see no suggestion of tax evasion here. I see only integrity. I am amazed at this answer still. To those of the conservative private enterprise mindset, be careful that your actions not be merely self-righteousness politics, definitely a denial of your claims to citizenship in heaven. 😖 To all of us I see an invitation to be amazed and be honorable; not a sneaky schemer.

In three days I will have a small transaction with another neighborhood entrepreneur.  It’s a small amount, she also asking for cash, already told me it’s to avoid the fee. I may comply because she’s so polite and helpful. If I have the courage I may also ask her if it is to avoid income tax. No big deal ma’am. 😇 I’m just your friendly neighborhood retired preacher.