1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Attending a high school basketball game can be akin to looking at humanity in a fishbowl! You have two teams fighting for the same victory. Then you have the parents, friends, relatives and casual observers who care about the outcome to varying degrees. On the teams themselves, you have players representing several age groups…from freshmen and sophomores who are relatively “green”…to the seniors who are playing their last season and laying it all on the line. In the case of a district tournament we recently attended, the outcome of the games signaled not only the end of the season for some…but also the end of a “career” for many who will not be moving on to play ball at the college level.
So as we sat and cheered our senior girls’ team to victory, I watched the players on the opposing team see their hopes and dreams dashed in a one-point loss. I observed in the previous game as almost-grown boys quite literally made a trudge of defeat to their bench…tears filling their eyes as they hugged teammates and commiserated the end of this phase of their lives.
I know what you may be thinking…a year from now, these will be distant memories – maybe totally unimportant to these young people in the scheme of things. And yes, the final game(s) of your high school “career” are not as critical as world peace…or even many of the crises and concerns that affect each of us on any given day. But let’s keep things in context…and in so doing, let’s have a little empathy and compassion for the other guy.
We were all teenagers once…surely we remember how all-important many of those experiences were at the time…the first dance…your athletic competitions…your last band concert or marching performance…a budding romance. Some of you remember what it felt like as a parent to see your children go through these rites of passage and realize that they were growing up…and away from your “nest” in short order. Surely you can feel some semblance of empathy for the person seated next to you who is exuberant over every basket…yelling at the referee in protest of a foul on his/her kid that seemed undeserved…or tearful at game’s end.
What does this have to do with our scripture verse for today? I’m glad you asked! The very same God who forgives our sins when we call on Him… the One who takes away our tears and fears and forgives us when we “act a fool” and admit it…the God who cares about worldwide hunger and injustice…also cares about the mixed bag of emotions that surround a high school senior’s last ballgame. The same God we trust to care for us and take away our sins cares for that dad who is unhappy with the refs - and the mom who is crying her eyes out because her baby has taken one more step toward independence.
The same God who holds us in His hands when we are sick or in need will heal and comfort others who are sick or troubled. The same God who orchestrates even the most mundane occurrences of our daily living will guide the steps of others who call on Him. The same God who forgives our sins and washes them away will offer salvation and eternal life to anyone else who confesses his/her sins.
We are no different…no better…no more privileged before God than anyone else. And at the end of the day…or the end of a game…we are all pretty much the same. We love our kids… our schools…our communities and our country. We live, love, laugh and cry…and we are all precious to God. Take a good hard look at the people around you and recognize that what God offers to you…He also offers to them. Does this change how you relate with them? Shouldn’t it?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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