In today’s high-marketing era and multi-channel delivery systems, there is always some event or contest to grab the sports-junkie’s attention. I confess to being pretty much a meat-and-potatoes kind of sports fan – baseball, basketball and football – and not just any team/ any game, but the ones I have (quite logically, right?) chosen as my favorites. I can take-it-or-leave-it with all the others (and mostly, “leave it”).
I will admit, as a grandfather, that I have developed a high interest in gymnastics, because Tyler (now 16) has been in contests for about 10 years. I’ve waited through a lot of sets on hard bleachers to watch her 1-3 minutes on the floor. She now competes at Level 7 all across the Midwest.
But…I also confess to a couple of big exceptions to this routine. I confess to loving March Madness and to being an Olympic-junkie! (So February and March of 2010 must be a pig-out season!!) Every 4 years, I get the bug to watch events I’ve had no interest in, no time for, and (certainly) little or no understanding of the dynamics of the sport. [The night I drafted this article, I also watched an Olympic curling contest!...and with interest, intrigue, and great admiration for their skill.] I really love the abandonment, the total dedication, and high drama that college basketball produces every year. College student rooting sections are incredible! [Don’t worry…my credential is safe…I’ve joined no office pools or wagers.]
Almost as commanding as the game or contest itself are all the “human interest.” I am constantly amazed at the details that surface in the stories of, “HHow did they get here?”
As I have pondered these powerful sports contests, I have brought across a few “transferrable truths” to the world/assignment that Our Head has called us to enter - - unlikely candidates, overwhelming dedication to win the prize, and the resilience of responding to defeat or disruption. You know these truths, but allow me to rehearse one of them here, as the Holy Spirit would re-insert truth into your mind and heart as you read this note.
Response to disappointment
Wide World of Sports (ABC) began its myriad broadcasts with the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” For every Olympic win or bracket advance, someone else’s dreams and dedication have been set aside “for this year.” Disappointment is a part of the contest.
You don’t have to work very long in the people-field or labor in the trenches of eternal, spiritual warfare before you discover there are disappointments, hurts and wounds, and obstacles to surmount.
I have witnessed some of these wounded warriors who have shown such great strength, great endurance, and a dedication to assignment in spite of the cost in pain, weariness, or personal pleasures. These friends inspire and encourage me always.
The question is not, “Will this ever happen to me?” but, “When this happens to me, how will I respond?”
Hear the story of John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania. In the 1960s, he was an elite middle and long distance runner. He represented his native Tanzania in competitions all across Africa and was the favorite to win the Marathon (26 miles, 385 yards) at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. The Olympic Marathon began in the afternoon of October 20, 1968. With the sharp report of the starter’s pistol, the runners began their long journey in the warm Mexican sun, and John Steven Akhwari moved deftly to the front of the pack.
Four hours later, there were only a few thousand spectators still milling about in Olympic Stadium. In the cool of the lengthening dusk, the last exhausted marathon runners were receiving treatment at first aid stations. Some were being carried off on stretchers. The winner of the race, an Ethiopian, had crossed the finish line more than an hour before. As the last of the spectators prepared to leave, they were startled by the sounds of police sirens approaching the stadium gate. As the gate opened, everyone soon realized what was happening. Into the stadium came a solitary figure. Here was the last man to finish the Olympic Marathon, and it was John Stephen Akhwari. Earlier in the race, Akhwari was severely injured in a collision and fall. Urged to quit and seek treatment, he refused. Bloodied and bandaged, he continued on, with each step of his shuffling gait rewarding him with sharp pain. Shaking and grimacing, he hobbled around the stadium track and finished the race. The remaining spectators rose and cheered him as though he had won. After completing his arduous journey, Akhwari limped slowly off the field without even acknowledging the continuing applause. Later he was asked why he continued in spite of his injury and knowing that he had no hope of winning. John Stephen Akhwari replied: “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 7,000 miles to finish it.”
You can see this story on video with this link - http://a42.video2.blip.tv/5560000150513/Fjlee-1968OlympicsMarathonJohnStephenAhkwari532.wmv?bri=3.8&brs=2056
If there is ever a real tragedy written in the pages of our journey, it is the tragedy of not finishing, or not finishing well. Steve Farrar’s book “Finishing Strong” is a manual on Christian ministry and the necessity of completing our course well and honoring the commitments made long ago.
The pundits are all speculating about this year’s “Cinderella team.” They want video to capture the unbridled joy of Jimmy Valvano racing across the court after a miracle and unexpected finish. I am confident that we do not have to isolate March Madness or the Olympics to find such heroes. We can find them every day of the year, faithfully laboring for Christ’s cause and offering incredible gifts into the lives of others. Allow my editorial license to be at work as I select for emphasis some of Paul’s words concerning this race found in 2 Corinthians 4:
8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
The Olympic flame will be extinguished in the Closing Ceremony. The flame in our hearts will not, must not die.
LHG
