If you are following the Olympics, and if you stayed up late enough on Sunday night, you saw a stunning victory by the United States men's 4 by 100 meter freestyle swimming relay team. The USA's foursome edged out the heavily favored French team by a scant .08 of a second.
Michael Phelps was the lead-off swimmer for the USA team. He's getting a lot of press, as he closes in on matching or exceeding the record for Olympic gold in swimming, currently held by Mark Spitz, from the 1972 Olympics. He had a strong 100 meters, holding a slim lead, as did the second swimmer for the USA team. The third swimmer was Cullen Jones. Cullen Jones is an excellent swimmer, specializing in shorter, "sprint" sort of races. He is an African-American, promoting competitive swimming among African-American youth. (Caucasians tend to dominate the sport, simply because many African-American boys and girls don't have access to the swimming venues and opportunities that white children enjoy.) The third swimmer for the French had a strong 100 meters, and the lead slipped away from Cullen. Still, Cullen held on to second place, resolutely. Jason Lesak anchored the American effort. For three quarters of his leg of the race, he held that second place position. Then, after a strong turn, in what seemed like the last 15 meters, Jason dug deep for a herculean effort, and barely outstretched the French swimmer.
In the celebration afterwards, all four men celebrated as one. Michael Phelps did not take center stage, even though he is the swimmer getting the most press. Jason Lesak did not crow and strut as if his leg of the relay saved the race. No one acted as if Cullen Jones did anything but his best in his leg. The would lose or win as a team. If they suffered defeat, they would accept it together. If they stunned the Olympic world with victory, they would do it hand-in-hand, not as individuals.
The Body of Christ could take a lesson from this. We have a goal to accomplish, just as the swimming relay team did. We have nothing less than the call to invite people into a relationship with a living, life-changing, world transforming Lord. We each have our leg of the race to accomplish. We do it together, not as a collection of individuals. If one of us is struggling, we all rally around and struggle alongside the one struggling. When we accomplish what God has given us to do, the victory belongs to all of us.
It really does matter that I have you all upstream from me and downstream from me on this journey of life's river. We're in this together. I'll see you around the next bend.
Raking Leaves
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Fall is here. The sun is moving towards the edge of the frame where, in
just a few weeks it will hit the bumper rail and start back towards the
other side...
2 years ago
1 comment:
The word team is often overused in both business and the church. It sometimes comes across just as a way to get people to compromise on some particualr project, so the person who is the most interested can just go do what they want to do anyway. Phelps did not have that luxury in the relay, all must participate, or all lose. The weakest and the strongest are required to do their best. In the real world, teams of people do not exist the same way. In the church not everyone is doing their best, but things still get done, by the Phelps on the team and everyone wins...sometimes. God requires our best, which is going all the way. On the team we find ourselves on we must at the question, "If I'm not the best, am I still willing to go all the way?" I read a quote from Joe Nameth. "If you aren't willing to go all the way, then why go at all?" Each team in the church must convince each member to go all the way to the best of their ability, and to train so each effort is truly, Olympian!
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