The Olympics: To win or compete with grace?

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The Athlete


The Olympic Games are on again –
Four long years to train and strain
Hope dashed in a second by a fall or a sprain
or better opponents, in body or brain.

Crowds cheers, journalists' jeers –
Eliminated for dope or too many beers
Living with jitters and mind boggling fears
Both losing and winning inducing tears.

Discipline, effort, vain dedication.
'I'm sorry I lost. I'm in isolation.
My grief finds little or no consolation.
I feel as if I've shamed my whole nation.'

Please tell me my life is still on pace
That it's not defined by a stupid race
But by how I manage whatever I face
Come win or lose, with a load of grace.

I wonder if Jesus ever went to the hippodrome in Jerusalem? Did he walk or take a boat over to Jerash or Gadara to the hippodromes and amphitheatres there. Paul was imprisoned right next door to the hippodrome on the beach front in Caesarea Maritima.  He wrote about running and winning, boxing and wrestling and keeping his own body in good nick. With a blood thirsty crowd of 30,000 screaming for their winner outside his window each week he couldn't have missed the Roman pre-occupation with games. 

You would have had to walk around with your eyes shut not to have bumped into contestants on every street corner and village. With amphitheatres all across the Roman Empire as well as hippodromes and stadia there were chariot races, gladiatorial combats, games, races, wrestling bouts, object tossing and fisticuffs a-plenty.

Today it's the same. We worships the gods of victory, beauty, power, race and money. It's not easy to be in the arena without being taken up with the hype of success, winning, leading, dominating and smashing the opposition. You are either defined by the performance of your favourite team or the model of your car or the brands you wear. And it's all stupid.

As for you – 


So what are you supposed to do? How are you meant to 'be' in today's arena? 

To start with get this in your head: Your ultimate victory is already won for you. Christ has killed off the fear of death. He's won the ultimate human contest. Thankfully we don't have to beat anyone. It's done and dusted. It's the gold medal we wear all day every day – by faith.

Secondly, keep your eye on that tape at the finish line – the life to come. This world is not your home. You're just a-passin' through. That's the race you're running – to get to the end with grace and patience. The end.

As for the the game in progress, we have a comforter, a coach, an advocate. That's the Holy Spirit sent from the Father and we seem to enjoy avoiding him. How dumb is that?

You have team mates, sometimes on their game but like you, most often not. Nevertheless we're on the same team and we are all you've got. The Selector has put us in this team and He has done quite well with teams sillier than ours in the past so He can be relied on.

So run on. You're doing better than you think. Hey, you're reading this!

To infinity and beyond. Live long and prosper!