A Person Built For Others

Stick with me here...

Built For Self
NBC launched a new series this fall called "Book of Daniel" that raised a few eyebrows among the media and more than ruffled some feathers in Christian circles. I've never seen an episode, but a good friend of mine named Mark (who also happens to be the Sr. High Pastor at our church) did, and was shocked at what he saw. So shocked, in fact, that he not only blogged about it to the parents of his Sr. Highers, but he sent emails to people trying to get them to contact stations and ask them to pull the show. He's not an activist type, so for him to go to such lengths told me just how offensive the show was.

One of the people who decided to look into this matter after getting Mark's email was our Sr. Pastor. Bob had heard from another friend back in Ohio who had seen the show and was quite offended, so when Mark emailed, Bob decided to contact the station. His email was polite, but stated why Bob, as a follower of Jesus who had made his life vocation that of a pastor, was offended by the show's premise, plots, and characters. After typing it out, he sent it Tuesday morning, January 24th, to KWWL, our local NBC affiliate.

Dale Woods, the VP and General Manager of KWWL, sent a reply about an hour later to Bob. Here's what he wrote:

Bob-

Thanks for your email. NBC has cancelled this show, so why are you still complaining?

Thanks for watching Iowa's News Channel.
Dale?

Bob had no idea that show had been cancelled (NBC seems to have made the decision Monday night, January 23rd, but one NBC affiliate said it was Tuesday afternoon, which would have been AFTER Bob got the email from Mr. Woods.

Built For Others
Mr. Woods terse reply stood in strong contrast to the message I received out of the book "Season of Life" which I had just finished the morning I read Mr. Woods curt email. The author, Jeffrey Marx, tells the story of Joe Ehrmann (pictured), a former Baltimore Colt star who at the time of the book was a pastor and an assistant high school football coach. The book tells the story of the Gilman High School 2001 football season, but it is so much more than about football. What Joe Ehrmann, and head coach Biff Poggi, are trying to accomplish is in the name of their "organization" - Building Men For Others.

I was so surprised to find myself choked up at times during the book, praying that I would be a man built for others, and that I would be the type of father that would raise my son and daughters to be Built for Others. It is not a "Christian" book, and yet I found myself being drawn once again to be like Christ, who's focus through his time on earth was on others.

So do you want to be like Mr. Woods of KWWL, who views feedback as complaints and people as a nuisance, or do you want to be a person Built for Others, who views people as our purpose, who seeks justice, who empathizes with the afflicted, and who isn't afraid to say "I Love You" (and isn't afraid to say "I'm sorry" when you haven't been a person of empathy)?

How will you live your life? Built for self? Or built for others?