13-1

A few posts back I spoke of our local high school football team. They went 10-0 in regular season play, winning both their conference and district for the first time since the nineteen-seventies. Subsequent to that, they won three play-off games in a row, making it to the final four in our state. Then it ended. In the semi-final game they lost decisively to one of the strong private schools in our state. Taking nothing away from the victors, they have resources and capabilities that simply are not available to a public system like ours.

Still, as my father always said about championship games, "You have to be there to lose it!" Our coaches and team team took a shot for the stars. They didn't quite get there, but they had a great run. They made history and made our town proud. I'd rather see them lose a state semi-final game than not be in one.

That kind of describes my outlook on much of life. Sometimes I think our culture rewards only extremes. We revere and remember the winners only, easily forgetting the individuals or teams who challenged them. On the other hand, we condition one another to play it safe, don't rock the boat, don't take risks. Often we fail to recognize the effort and courage of those who go out on a limb and take a chance for something great or right, even if it means the chance of failure.

I'm more impressed by a Jesus follower who takes a chance on sharing his/her faith with another and gets rejected than I am impressed by someone with perfect attendance and who tithes, but who does not give witness when given the chance. I'm more impressed by a church that risks becoming more focused on making disciples than on maintaining itself and fails in the process, than I am impressed by a church that keeps itself afloat but ignores the lost people around it. I'm more impressed by servants who roll up their sleeves to address human need and risk the scorn of others than I am by those who keep a safe distance.

I'd rather try something in the will of God and fail at it, than merely stay safe or only do the things that are a guaranteed win. But that's just me. Anyway, I'm proud of our football team. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.