I have just finished reading a recent article in Sports Illustrated by Terry McDonell about Sports in America entitled, “In My Tribe.” The article captures how sports help define who we are as a society. It is a recollection of many favorite sports memories from some of the senior editors of Sports Illustrated. There is no doubt, for the sports fan you can merely mention a name, a place, a date, an announcement and you have a defining moment in sports and perhaps even in your own outlook as a person; ie: Jordon, Magic Johnson and HIV, The Dream Team, Michael Phelps in Beijing, Thrilla in Manila, No Mas, George Bush at Yankee Stadium throwing the opening pitch out a few days after 9-11, Cal Ripken 2,130 games, McGwire and Sosa, baseball and steroids, Superbowl champion Saints after Katrina, Cal and the Stanford band, The Wide World of Sports spanning the globe… the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. All of these things conjure up images in the mind of sports fans and give context to our lives.
Some of the lessons in sports that were quoted: “I don’t care who you are, you hear those boos.”- Mickey Mantle, “Sports makes winners and conversely sports makes losers” - Unknown. “There is no feeling in life like the one you get after giving everything you have, doing all you can do, and still coming up short.” -Thomas Lake. In 1980 the underdog Florida State beat highly favored Nebraska. Nebraska fans applauded Florida State and Coach Bobby Bowden remarked, “The classiest thing I have ever experienced.” “Sometimes those moments that you spend hoping and believing and waiting for something good to happen are the best moments of your life.” -Joe Posnanski. “It is a part of my life, without those memories, part of me would be dead.” -Michael Bamberger. “The recollection and power of another era was a reminder that our sports, as a part of and a companion to history, are a way to give context to our lives and to our collective past, present and future.” -Kostya Kennedy. Writer, Gary Smith, talks about a picture from the 1957 Cotton Bowl of the TCU locker room; “The older you get, the more you realize that this is what sports are most about: the moments before… when a person takes a flashlight to his soul and inspects himself for will and courage and spirit… Who am I? And, is that going to be enough?” TCU 28-Syracuse 27.
As I read the article, I was both inspired and convicted. Sports is a major context for our lives and I would not be the first nor last preacher to point that out. The Apostle Paul used sports as a context on a few occasions. He admonished Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. He then tells him there is going to be some difficult assignments and Paul then gives three illustrations to give context to how difficult it will be; a soldier, a farmer and an athlete. An athlete must train hard, prepare himself for the struggle to be a champion, he has to play within the rules to be rewarded. Something that seems to be forgotten in many places today in sports.
I am inspired to think about turning on that search light and remembering how that on a game day your preparation, practice and skills all met up with the single most important ingredient, the desire to win. Sports provides the perfect context of that most familiar feeling that all athletes share who know what it means to have spent themselves totally on a field, a court, or a track somewhere. Sports also provides the perfect context to know the thrill of victory; that achieved goal, that long awaited win, but also that bitter defeat that brings agony to the spent and drained body, mind and yes, even your soul.
I am convicted in the thought that my God is worth more to me than any sport or any sports achievement. Yet it is so easy to recall and converse about Who was the greatest athlete you ever saw? Or what was the greatest sports moment? Who had the greatest comeback? What is the greatest rivalry? Which team had the most heart? Yet when that is dropped into a spiritual context we as a people, God’s people grow eerily silent. So what was your greatest spiritual moment? When was the last time if ever, you finish serving the Lord in some fashion and you were totally spent physically, emotionally and mentally because you were all in and sold out? When did you leave it all in the church after a worship service? When was the last time you were totally engaged in a spiritual matter? When, if ever, have you been so involved and fanatic that you actually cheered others on as a good team- mate or shall I say, good church member? When was the last time you gave enough to really feel spent? Are we spiritually really in the race, taking the field, or on the court? Is our adrenaline pumping and are we hopping up and down and chest bumping in anticipation of our part in this great assignment of winning the world to Christ? How do we feel when there is a loss or a low day in the church? What are we consumed with talking about? Is it Christ our King or whoever is our team? What is your dream spiritually?
Those sports quotes that I aforementioned, do they give context to spiritual matters in my life, in yours? Have we recognized what Christ has really called us to do and turned on his searchlight and wondered, do I have enough in me to do it? With Christ all things are possible. He is our strength. But don’t be fooled there is going to be some sweating and heavy lifting involved! What is that you are hoping for, believing in and waiting on, that looking back one day will be one of the greatest things you will have experienced spiritually? Waiting on the Lord is where He renews our strength. Again, you are going to need strength to win the prize He is calling you to win. If you feel like a loser, please understand that in spiritual matters, it is the last that shall be first and the first that shall be last. That is not a pass on playing hard, doing your best and giving your all. Rather it is about where you put Jesus in the line up. Please pardon the sports context. It means that when you get out of the way, put Him first, He plays through you.
Then, lest I forget to say, most all sports fans can think of those hero’s of the big game who transcended reasonable courage and hit the game winning home run in the World Series on a broken leg, pitched the final game on a broken ankle. The one who went back into the finals match with a separated shoulder, or who played the best game of his life after his father had just died. But isn’t that just it? They had an audience of millions and usually a salary of millions and it was the big game. But think of the Christians that do it week in and week out, who are hurt, physically, emotionally and there is no noticeable audience to applaud them, they just do what they do for the audience of One, Jesus. And perhaps that great cloud of heavenly witnesses. These are the hero’s of the faith. They just keep putting their helmets of salvation on, buttoning their chin straps, putting their mouth pieces in and with hearts for Jesus keep pressing toward the prize of the high calling of God.
Oh, and of course, I don’t care who you are there is going to be times you will be booed and you will hear it. It may even sound like “crucify Him”! So make up your mind right now if that is going to make you head to the dugout and sack the bats, or, if you are going to do what you should do and play through it. Play on Player, Play on!
The Church is my Tribe!
