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This past week, a clear illustration of why it’s rather silly to buy a hockey jersey of your favorite player occurred.  Brett Lebda, who a few years back struck me as the kind of defensive player who could become a great, and became a free agent this summer…signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

And so, my “LEBDA” jersey, #22 on the back, road colors so that if I went to a game, we would match…becomes a piece of Detroit history.  A history of a player talented enough to become a great, but held down and snuffed out on a team already full of defensive greatness.  With names like Lidstrom, Kronwall, Rafalski, and Stuart above his own…he could be trained.  He could grow.  He could be challenged to perform on levels most defensive players never reach.  But he couldn’t shine.

And so, a salary cap already tight on a team that doesn’t really need what he seems to offer, he was encouraged to look somewhere else.  And he did.

Last year, Lebda made about $850,000 playing deep on the defensive line for the Detroit Redwings.  His newly signed contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs offers him $1.45 Million per season, for a guaranteed two, possibly more after that.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who noticed his value being under-utilized/developed.

But as the Wings secure names like Lidstrom (one more year at least!!), Drew Miller, Patrick Eaves, and are courting names like Mike Modano – it’s obvious that losing Lebda will not impact their ability to compete for the cup next year.  Let’s bring it home, now that Chicago has had a party.

So now the question, for a fan such as myself without the means to go around buying new jersey’s for every “might be” Redwing long timer…..who to buy next?

Franzen?  Abdelkader?  Rafalski?  Right now I’m leaning Rafalski…especially after an incredible second half of this season, his impact on the 2010 Olympic team, and all around seeming like a solid hockey playin’ man.  He signed a 5 year contract in 2007, and perhaps they will re-sign him when that comes up?  That’s the risk, I suppose…

Finally catching up with some notes on a few weeks ago.  We heard from the story in Luke where Jesus confronts “Legion” (the evil within the demon-possessed man) in Chapter 8:26-39.  The immediate question we often hear, is something to the effect of “Why don’t supernatural happenings like this occur today?”  Perhaps you have experienced something like this, or something that seemed like this.  Even so, it’s rare in modern Midwest living for sure.

The point was made that in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:1-15), there were many reasons why the seeds did not grow well.  Only in one case, did that involve the devil.  The seeds that were “trampled on”.  If we look around the globe, the places where “supernatural” forces of evil seem to be stirring up trouble, are those places that have been “trampled on” by the rest of the world.  Poor nations, 3rd World Countries, where unfair labor practices, debt interest, and power mongering presses down on the backs of its citizens.  Where we live, how hard does evil need to work….when the culture/environment we live in does so much on it’s behalf?

Even so, there are important things we can take from what happens in theses verses.  The forces within the possessed man BEG to be sent into the swine, rather than being sent back to “ABUSSON” (the abyss).  This is the same abyss referred to in Revelation 9:1 (Satan is given the key to it’s shaft, but not the actual abyss).  Sometimes translated as “bottomless pit”, but in the Old Testament was very closely related to how the world was before God created things (Genesis 1:2).  It’s an existence apart/separated/without from what God is doing.

So they get what they asked for, and are sent into the pigs.  What happens immediately?  The swine run off a steep bank and are drowned in the lake.  We aren’t told what happens to demons after the pigs they possess are drowned, but my guess is the evil spirits aren’t still hangin’ out with fish at the bottom of the water.  My guess is they ended up in the “abyss” anyway.

What do we learn here?  Evil is always moving toward death,  Moving away from God.  There is no rational thought, no wise-maneuvering toward winning some sort of cosmic game of chess.  The very nature of evil, is to be moving away from God…towards death.  To the point where even when one situation appears to go their way (being sent into the pigs), they cannot escape their very nature….toward death.

May we not be the swine they beg to be sent into…:)

(for more on Luke’s emphasis on revealing the Truth of Jesus dominion over evil, check out “The Demise of the Devil” by Susan R. Garrett)

Speaking of, remember “Book It” back in elementary school? That was awesome. I love personal pan pizzas from pizza hut.

But anyways, in lieu of a trip to San Diego all next week, I wanted to secure a few good books (beyond the Bible, of course) to chew on. Not sure if I’ll have internet while out there, but should still be able to Tweet and Flickr (follow me!). But blog will be quiet, so imagine me posting a few thoughts each day from these books:

1. After You Believe, By NT Wright. I’ve already posted a couple posts from this book. I love this man, and how God is using him to open up the Word, challenging and life-bringing at the same time. The beginning section is very similar to an audio message I’ve heard before, so I look forward to his development of each of the themes already discussed in my previous posts.

2. The Shallows – What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, by Nicholas Carr. When people debate on whether the internet is a good thing or bad, they usually focus on the content and how it is being used. Carr investigates the question of how it is changing our brains, and changing how we even think in other areas of life.

“Whether I’m online or not, my mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.”

3. Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. I loved his similar story, “What is the What?”   This story is about a family dealing with America’s response to terrorism and Hurricane Katrina at the same time. Based on a true story, and biographical information on the family, but I’m sure will have that something special Eggers is able to add to life. Great author, full of love for humanity, and for understanding the perspective and view of those we often don’t.

Looking forward to a great week….