The great thing about YouTube is that I can always find something interesting and sometimes enlightening. That's not always a good thing. Two days ago, a short feature popped up called The Untold Truth About Mark Harmon. I don't watch TV much anymore but there was a time when I would watch NCIS, starring the aforementioned Mr. Harmon. NCIS, a spin off from another hit show, JAG, has been on the air since 2003 and has had a cast of mostly interesting and likable characters over that span, headed by Harmon who plays Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I haven't seen it in years but Mark Harmon is instantly recognizable to Americans who have watched any amount of television over the past several decades.
The ten minute mini documentary was produced by a British company which explains some cultural differences compared to one produced in the US. By watching it, you would think Harmon simply came out of nowhere as a college quarterback at UCLA but the film clips used are of the Bruin defense, not offense. (It did mention that he engineered an upset of my Nebraska Huskers!) The clip then went into his acting career and was entertaining. But what was really fascinating was what it didn't mention.
We all come at experiences with preconceived notions about what is and is not relevant. As an American, I thought it should have mentioned that Mark Harmon was brother in law to Ricky Nelson, teenage heartthrob of the fifties and sixties, who was married to Mark's sister, Kristin. It also did not mention that Mark's mother, Elyse Knox, was a famous actress. I mean, how do you leave that out? But to me, by far the most glaring omission was this; there was no mention of Mark Harmon's father. If you are an American sports' fan, especially in regards to football, you know where I am going with this. His dad was none other than legendary, and I don't use that term lightly, Tom Harmon. That would be Tom Harmon as in Heisman Trophy winner, College Hall of Fame member, who is considered one of the greatest collegiate football players ever Tom Harmon. How can you leave out that impact on Mark's gridiron career? Did he have great athletic DNA? Did he follow in his dad's athletic path to please his father? Did doors open for Mark because of Tom? Was he the beneficiary of early football training? Those avenues were never walked down but I wish they had been explored. My guess is again, the nationality of the presentation played the major role in the oversight. But then, I'm not British.
Some people over the course of time have tried to separate Jesus from the Father. They say He was a good man or a learned rabbi or maybe even a prophet. But the Son of God? Never! That was the main source of conflict in John 8 between Jesus and the religious leaders. Jesus proclaimed they didn't know Him because they didn't know His Father. They claimed God was their father but Jesus countered by saying their father was actually the devil. They also claimed to have kinship with Abraham but Jesus dismissed that assertion as well. Funny thing is that the demons Jesus cast out never disputed who He was; maybe they simply could not. I made the point earlier that leaving Tom Harmon out of the Mark Harmon story simply made no sense but it's not theologically important. It is with our Savior- without the Father, there is no Son. Here is one last detail about Mark Harmon that the producer added. Do you know what he did after his football career ended at UCLA and he had no aspirations to play in the NFL? He was a.......... carpenter. He said he loved it and everything about it but no one would hire him so he ended up in another line of work, the one where he would leave his mark. Seems like there was someone else I've heard of who started out as a carpenter but left for His greater calling. Aren't we blessed He did!
Applicable quote of the day:
"If other people think I'm okay looking, that's great, but I don't see it myself. When I look in the mirror, all I see is a bunch of fake teeth and football scars."
Mark Harmon
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
E-mail me at shawley@westburychristian.org
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