{"id":23468,"date":"2016-03-04T05:45:41","date_gmt":"2016-03-04T10:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/?p=23468"},"modified":"2016-03-03T11:48:19","modified_gmt":"2016-03-03T16:48:19","slug":"thus-passes-the-glory-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2016\/03\/thus-passes-the-glory-of-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Thus passes the glory of the world"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Aubrey McClendon, founder of Chesapeake Energy, was one of Oklahoma City\u2019s most prominent citizens. \u00a0So it was a juicy story when a federal grand jury\u00a0indicted him for conspiring with another oil company to not bid against each other on oil leases.\u00a0 So on Wednesday the lead, front-page, top-of-the-fold story in the\u00a0Daily Oklahoman\u00a0<\/em>was about McClendon\u2019s indictment and alleged misdeeds.<\/p>\n

McClendon forcefully denied that he had done anything wrong, but the embarrassment must have been too much for him. \u00a0Later that day, he drove\u00a0his SUV at high speed into a bridge abutment in an apparent suicide.<\/p>\n

The very next day after the negative story<\/a>\u00a0the whole issue of the newspaper was full of his praises. \u00a0Thursday\u2019s edition\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0led with the lead, front-page, top-of-the-fold headline \u201cEnergy Leader Leaves Behind Legacy.\u201d \u00a0The lead editorial was \u201cMcClendon\u2019s Contributions Changed City for the Better.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Not only that, nearly every section of the newspaper had big stories praising McClendon. \u00a0BUSINESS: \u00a0How McClendon helped bring the nation\u2019s oil and natural gas industry back to life. \u00a0His impact on Oklahoma City\u2019s economy. \u00a0LOCAL: McClendon\u2019s role in Oklahoma City\u2019s renaissance, with his initiatives in developing the river front, his promotion of good architecture in the city, and his civic boosterism. \u00a0SPORTS: \u00a0He was largely responsible for bringing the Thunder, a spectacularly successful NBA franchise and the state\u2019s first major league pro team of which he is one of the owners, to Oklahoma City. \u00a0RESTAURANTS: \u00a0He invested in local restaurants and did much to encourage the flowering of fine dining in the city. \u00a0PHILANTHROPY: \u00a0He was a major patron of local arts groups and generously gave to a whole range of other\u00a0philanthropic projects.<\/p>\n

Here is a man who had great wealth, notable accomplishments, the respect and gratitude of his community, and every kind of success. \u00a0And yet, in a moment, he felt his life was not worth living.<\/p>\n

Talk about \u201ccivic righteousness.\u201d \u00a0He had a lifetime of good works to his community, and yet one bad work brought it all to nothing.<\/p>\n

And see the fickleness of his acclaim. \u00a0The world\u00a0honors him, then dishonors him, then honors him again\u2013but after he is dead, due to\u00a0the dishonor.<\/p>\n

I have seen nothing about his church involvement. \u00a0But then again the media seldom considers that important. \u00a0I hope\u00a0he had a saving faith in Christ, despite it all.<\/p>\n

But his story reads like a medieval tragedy, a \u201cwheel of fortune\u201d tale in which Lady Fortune takes someone to the top and then to the bottom. \u00a0The point of which is to show that worldly success is ultimately insubstantial and that we can only depend on Christ. \u00a0Those stories often dramatized the Latin motto:<\/p>\n

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thus passes the glory of the world.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aubrey McClendon, founder of Chesapeake Energy, was one of Oklahoma City\u2019s most prominent citizens. \u00a0So it was a juicy story when a federal grand jury\u00a0indicted him for conspiring with another oil company to not bid against each other on oil leases.\u00a0 So on Wednesday the lead, front-page, top-of-the-fold story in the\u00a0Daily Oklahoman\u00a0was about McClendon\u2019s indictment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4385,4386,3313],"class_list":["post-23468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-aubrey-mcclendon","tag-medieval-tragedy","tag-oklahoma-city"],"yoast_head":"\nThus passes the glory of the world<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Aubrey McClendon, founder of Chesapeake Energy, was one of Oklahoma City's most prominent 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