Denver Catholic

23 DENVER CATHOLIC | MAY 13-26, 2017 Greg Maddux, Jesus Christ and the Sword of the Spirit I n the Church's eternal wisdom, the feasts of Easter and Pentecost fall around the start of baseball season. Some might be tempted to pass this o› as "coincidence," but I tend to favor prov- idence in this matter. My favorite baseball memory occurred on June 10, 2005. The Cubs were playing the Red Sox and Greg Maddux took the mound against Bronson Arroyo. Now, you should understand that Greg Maddux is my favorite ball player of all time. I witnessed him dominate on the North Side in his early years, shared in the bitter-sweet glory of his championships in Atlanta and welcomed him home in a trium- phant return to the Windy City. On this day, Greg Maddux not only won (obviously), but he hit a home run, which used to be very rare for pitchers. It was the bottom of the sixth inning and I remember seeing the ball hit his bat and I immediately rose to my feet with both hands raised as the rest of Wrigley sat and chatted. No one expected it because frankly, Greg Maddux was an awful hitter; he could lay down a bunt with the best of them but anything more than a single was a once in a season type moment. Eventually, and it seemed like forever, the ball barely fell in the basket and the stadium erupted. The reason why Greg Maddux is my favorite player has nothing to do with his bat, but his masterful pitching. You may think that meant that he threw a lot of strikeouts, but while he fanned his fair share, Greg Maddux pitched to contact. He had a mean sinker that made players want to swing only to ground out and into double plays. He wasn't afraid of the batter swinging; in fact, he welcomed it — it was his whole dang plan. When I read the Gospels, I see Jesus on the mound dealing just like Greg Maddux. He doesn't avoid contact or confl ict. Instead, he seeks it out. When Mary and Joseph pre- sented Jesus in the temple as a baby, the prophet Simeon proclaimed, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed" (Lk 2:34). Confl ict is Jesus' vocation. As an adult, he confi rms this when he says, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Mt 10:34). That's the Jesus I'm throwing out there on Opening Day and you can bet the house that we're coming home victorious. That is truly our Jesus, our Head, our Savior and our King. Have we mad e him into something else — someone, perhaps, a little quieter? Gentle? Not as o› ensive? I know I'm guilty of doing so in the past, but whatever I made him into isn't who he is and always will be. As we are built up by the Mass readings from Acts this Easter, and as we approach Pentecost, I'm calling on every man and woman of good will to reconsider who Jesus really is. We are people who were born to achieve peace by way of war. If not, why did Jesus bring a sword? Was it to mount on our wall and only reference when we speak of Church history? St. Paul speaks of Christians receiving the Sword of the Spirit in Ephesians. I believe that the Lord is o› ering us a new sword this Pentecost. But like every gift, you have the choice to receive it and use it, or not to. We need to take a good, hard look at ourselves as a Church. Scripture says that, "David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine" (1 Sam 17:48). I know there is no short- age of Philistines, but are you running toward them to conquer? I love listening to the bridge of "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher during Easter. The lyrics, quoting St. Paul are, "Oh, Death, where is your sting? Oh, Hell, where is your vic- tory?" I look out on the world and see the sting of death and the advance- ment of Hell all around me. I also see the grace of God abounding in mirac- ulous and overwhelming ways. So, my question to us is: Church, where is your sting? Christ has proved victo- rious; are we willing to call down the reign of Heaven in the face of Hell? If you are, join me in this prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my King. Give me boldness and courage to proclaim your Gospel in the public square. I give my life to you again today. Release your Spirit and your King- dom in me Lord, that I might exist for the praise of your Glory. Amen. Guest Column Scott Elmer is the director of evangelization and family life ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver. SCOTT ELMER 13 Reasons Why NOT L ast weekend, I binge-watched "13 Reasons Why." I strongly urge you not to do the same. "13 Reasons Why" is a Netfl ix series about a teenaged girl, Hannah Baker, who commits suicide. Hannah leaves behind 13 audio cassettes detailing 13 reasons — really 13 people — who led her to kill herself. I thought the fi rst few episodes were very good. Hanna's "narration" via the tapes is very e› ective, and draws the viewer in. At fi rst, I also thought the show could be an e› ective platform for sparking important dis- cussions between parents and teens. But then, three or four episodes in, I changed my mind. First, the series suddenly got very explicit. Porn use, masturbation, sexual experimentation, etc. And that was before the graphic depictions of two sexual assaults, and then the sui- cide itself. Nobody, of any age, needs those images in their heads. Graphic images have tremendous power. Our brains are wired to react strongly to them. They "imprint." Especially for children and teenagers who are still relatively innocent, this can be extremely disturbing. Second, the series took me to a very dark place, very quickly. It's hard to describe, except to say that it was very ugly. I wanted to take a shower — with holy water. And third, I have zero doubt that this show is going to lead to far more suicides than it prevents. In fact, school districts are already reporting an uptick in suicide threats among elementary and middle school stu- dents since the series debuted. Hannah's tapes are a great literary device. They also, unfortunately, o› er the perfect "suicide as revenge" fantasy. In life, Hannah was overlooked. Boys (well, most boys) saw her as an object. Girls saw her as an annoyance, or a com- petitor. But in death, she becomes the star of the school. Her locker becomes a shrine. She is suddenly "popular." What's more, thanks to the tapes, she is fi nally in control. She calls the shots from beyond the grave. She turns the tables on everyone who hurt her, and completely upends their lives. Hannah gets her revenge. Of course, the show depicts her parents' anguish, and all kinds of other fall-out that a clear-thinking, well-ad- justed person could see as potential downside to ending one's own life. But suicidal teenagers are neither clear-thinking nor well-adjusted. Suicide is contagious. Research consistently shows that one person's suicide can reinforce a vulnerable person's motivation to join them. And when those at-risk kids see that person's status elevated from high school loser to posthumous celeb- rity, it intensifi es that e› ect. Couple that with a dramatic depiction of successful post-mortem revenge, and all the discussion in the world won't override suicide's seductive appeal. There is a reason why mental health professionals everywhere are issuing warnings about the series. The JED Foundation, a suicide prevention orga- nization, declined to endorse it, saying they couldn't support a show that amounted to "one long revenge story." Michael Jackson's 19-year-old daugh- ter Paris, who herself has attempted suicide, called the show "extremely triggering." The National Association of School Psychologists has advised teens who have had suicidal thoughts to avoid the series entirely. I'm hearing about a lot of parents who are watching "13 Reasons Why" with their kids. Please know that I believe that watching shows about hard issues can be a great springboard for discussion. But I don't believe this show is the right vehicle for that. In fact, I believe it's dangerous. Your kids need guidance. They need discussion. But they don't need this. Guest Column Bonacci is a syndicated columnist based in Denver. MARY BETH BONACCI

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