It seems the fate of Barry Bonds' 756th home run baseball has been decided. In an online vote, a majority of voters (read people with time on their hands) decided that owner Marc Ecko should brand the ball with an asterisk to note that Bonds' historic achievement came with a footnote called steroids. The ball will be displayed in the Hall of Fame with the distinct reminder that this record is tainted.

I see lots of ways to jump off of this event for the preacher who cares to raise the issue. I noticed it today when I was reading through the book of Mark where Jesus calls out his disciples from the crowd who had been following him around. Mark names them all, gives their nicknames even (Peter, Sons of Thunder), and puts an asterisk next to the most infamous disciple of them all Judas Iscariot. It seems that whenever Judas is mentioned it is always with an asterisk. After all, Judas was the one who betrayed him, and he deserves it. But is he the only who deserves it?

Peter denied three different accusations that he belonged to Jesus. Other disciples returned to their previous livelihoods only days after Jesus was hanged. But they don't get asterisks.

And what of us? Do we not deny Jesus throughout our days and abandon the Way for our own petty interests? Do we get an asterisk as well? We shouldn't be so quick to put the asterisk next to Barry Bonds alone. If we look closely at ourselves, we'll see we each carry an asterisk of sin, and no amount of manuevering will knock it off its place.

Look at it just sitting there all smug and happy. There is a way to remove it from your lives. (No, h'way, Wayne says). It's called baptism, and it's how God shows us that the asterisk of our lives has been taken care of. You see, Barry Bonds' baseball will have an asterisk for only so long. Jesus forgives the sins of cheating, and at his next return, will render final judgment. Barry Bonds should have something to fear because Jesus' judgment is lasting. Yet, his fear should be more of the God who chooses to redeem his mess. Jesus redeems our asterisks through his selfless sacrifice on the cross and his amazing resurrection to a life beyond asterisks. The day is coming (finally) where all our asterisks will be washed away--baseballs included.

God sees us as ones who have no asterisks. And baptism proves it. No matter how corrupt, divisive, or junky we may be, God puts no asterisk on his great love for us. We may alienate ourselves from God through stupid things like lying to the public, hiding things in secret, or blatantly going it our way, but God doesn't let those silly things stop his love for us. Asterisk or not, God's got us covered. Jesus' resurrection is the steroidal juice to our asterisk-lives that helps us live our future kingdom lives now. Repent, the kingdom has taken the field. And watch out for Jesus' wicked knuckleball. It drops like a ton of bricks.