He Hate Me

It's been a real long time since this guy has seen the field in the form of this name, but Rod Smart comes to mind for what we talked about in football chapel this afternoon. The NorthWood Panthers head up to Concord to take on the Minutemen on a field I called home at one time. The dissent between the two teams has definitely grown over the years and has seen its fair share of great games. Most recently, Concord has had a pretty decent upper hand on the more running-oriented Panthers. Because of this, Concord seems to run up the score and give the Panthers, just about nothing to go home with when the contest is over. The result is a deep dislike between the teams that culturally, is closest to "hating" the other team.

It is interesting because Rod Smart used this same principle to employ the phrase on the back of his Las Vegas Outlaws jersey. "Basically, my brother's my opponent. After I win, he's gonna hate me. It is what it is."

OBJECTION!

I stand up today and challenge that notion. Jesus many times, points to being at peace with even our enemies, even to the point of loving them and praying for them. So as a Christ-follower, even in the words that I use to describe my angt against a team, what am I saying about an individual if I hate them? I completely devalue the individual to completely useless and of no value to me or the kingdom that I am a citizen of. And that is not what Jesus Christ has called us to.

When I was a sophomore or junior in high school, our coach decided as a motivational exercise and a way to illustrate for us how tight we should be as a team, purchased a boulder and placed it at the end of the field. Every game, we would come out and touch the rock that had "F-5 One Heartbeat" engraved on the front. Wawasee was the first one to come to our place that year and decided to spit on our rock.

Along with 75 other guys, I was livid to the point of hatred and angst toward anybody that had Wawasee on their chest. The most prominent of those was Kory Lantz, the quarterback for the Warriors that year and therefore, he was the most hated of them all. I took that hatred with me to Bethel College when I transferred and God had a different plan.

For the past two years, Kory and I were leaders of a group called "The Fellowship" that met and reached out to 30 guys on our campus. Kind of ironic, huh?

The point is that regardless of the conditions, I am part of a body that has many parts and needs every single part, the way that they are, in order to survive. Not to mention that no part can survive without the other part doing their part. Lots of parts! Because of these variables, the moment that I "hate" someone and deem them worthless of consideration to be a part of my life, I am saying to them, "I don't need you! I don't need your portion into the body!"

May teams compete to win and win a lot! But may we always remember that this is life and not just a football game.

Football will End.
Your Life will End.

Who we spend with for eternity and the desperation that we need each other will NEVER END.