Today’s post begins a series of posts about the fall of
heroes and the dynamics which accompany these crises. Earthly heroes are human, and being so,
experience struggles and temptations which are common to all. The purpose of this series is not to exploit
or insult these individuals, but instead to study elements of their lives which have lead to their moment of exposure. My
rationale is that these individuals placed themselves in the public eye by
choice, thus are open for discussion. My
hope and prayer is that through such study, we may learn some things that will help
us to avoid common pitfalls.
Part 1: “A Little
Bit of Lance”
Lance Armstrong has long been a hero of mine. He had
an extraordinary story. In his recovery
from testicular cancer, Lance won seven consecutive yellow jerseys in the Tour
de France. Overcoming adversity and
obstacles in his path, he dominated a global sport, which had traditionally been
ruled by Europeans. He made Americans
proud, and gave inspiration to those battling cancer, as well as motivation for
couch potatoes worldwide (such as myself) to purchase a quality bicycle and
begin training. Images of Lance
conquering the Alpe d’Huez floated through our heads when trying to ascend the
hills of our local communities. He was a
true hero.
When Lance gave up the fight against the allegations of doping which he faced, cycling fans worldwide were amazed, as he had been denying such accusations for many years. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has now placed a lifetime ban upon Lance’s participation in all competitive sports. This led to him being stripped of all of his Tour de France victories. Some held out hope that the allegations weren't true until last Thursday night’s interview by Oprah, where he finally confessed to the illegal use of EPO, blood transfusions, human growth hormone, and testosterone throughout his career to boost his performance. Lance said these banned substances were “like having air in our tires and water in our bottles.” Dale Carnegie once wrote that “If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.”2 Lance has finally emphatically admitted to his wrongdoing, but it definitely hasn’t been quickly.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of the confession
interview to me is when Oprah asked the following question: “Did you feel in any way that you were cheating?”
Lance answered, “At the time, no.” Shortly afterwards, he continued, “I went and
looked up the definition of cheat. The
definition of cheat is to gain an advantage over a rival or foe. I didn’t do it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field.”
Lance’s answer was a form of justification of his
actions. He said that the fact that he
didn’t feel that he had cheated, although he was breaking the rules, was “scary.” Truly, it is scary. It is not scary that he was capable of lying
to cheat others, but that he was able to lie and deceive himself. Twitter and Facebook blew up with comments
such as, “How crazy is this guy to believe that?” and “What kind of monster is
this?”
Before we rush into judgment, we need to take time to
reflect. As “scary” as it might be, we
all have a little bit of Lance in us.
There are areas in our lives where our consciences are uneasy, yet we
have justifications by which to explain to ourselves (and in some cases,
others) the rationale by which our case is legit, or different from others. We create grandiose explanations of our wrongdoing, in a battle against conviction and uneasy conscience.
Beware when you begin to use the following pieces of
justification rhetoric:
- Everyone else is doing it, thus it is right for me.
- Due to my specific set of circumstances, what I am doing is not sinful.
- What I am doing is not technically hurting anyone else, thus it is acceptable.
WORKS CITED
1 - 1 Corinthians 10:12. All Scriptures contained herein are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2 - Carnegie, Dale, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1936, p.142.
3 - John 8:32. All Scriptures contained herein are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
4 - Interview quotes taken from "Oprah's Next Chapter", Episode 64: Lance Armstrong:Part 1, OWN Network, 1/17/13.
2 comments:
In truth, I have enough flaws and shortcomings personally that I find it very difficult to sit in judgment of another human being, even one who is very much a presence in current media. That said, I sincerely hope that putting down his baggage will free Lance to live the rest of his life forgiven by Him whose forgiveness is genuinely given and which matters far more than mine or yours or anyone else's. If he will direct the discipline he practiced which brought him success in his sport toward the service of so many who need focus and hope and encouragement today, he will find the glory that trophies and yellow jerseys and media attention cannot provide. My hope is that what he did to himself chasing sports glory will not ruin his physical health or mental health as he begins to follow a new path for his life.
There are enough flaws and shortcomings in me that I do not like to sit in judgment of another, even those who are very prominent in the media. I am glad Lance Armstrong chose to put his baggage down. I see that as the first step toward forgiveness by Him whose acceptance truly matters, despite what the rest of the world thinks. I pray that Lance will apply that same discipline that brought him fame in sports to new pursuits that will matter more than yellow jerseys and fans and adulation. I hope that what he has done to himself with doping will not shorten his life or ruin his physical or mental health; may he go from his confession to a life of service to those who need his help. The fact that he established the LiveStrong Foundation says to me that he has the service-to-mankind gene. Here's hoping it will become his dominant one now.
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