Well, Sam is an Upward kind of kid. He has been playing Upward basketball since it started and this fall played Upward football. All of our experiences have been very positive. All of the coaches have gone out of their way to be positive and encouraging. This basketball season has been very good. The coach is a chatty guy, but he doing a wonderful job with the kids. He has taught them the value in helping one another out, making sure everyone gets a chance to handle the ball and rewarding them for working hard. Sam is one of the little guys and he has benefited greatly as a member of this team.
One of the upward things is it's very recreational and very low key. The score is not kept and the kids are rewarded for being team players. The emphasis is on learning skills and developing strong leadership. They make free popcorn for the kids and the coaches are trained to share the Gospel in kid friendly ways. So what is wrong with Upwards. I will tell you, they allow a bunch of lousy human beings to participate. It always messes everything up.
Today at the game one of the God-fearing among us got worked up with one of the referees. He must have been relatively vocal in his displeasure because it resulted in his exit from the building, the game being stopped, the clock being stopped, a cheer interrupted and the entire crowd silenced for prayer. I don't know what happened there, and I don't really need or want to, just made me stop a little to think that one through. On both ends, stimulus and reaction. What on earth happened to make someone mad enough to complain about a recreational basketball game? And why did going to prayer feel a whole lot like I was being punished today? Is this the way we want people to view prayer, let me fix your attitude?
The attitude thing is bugging me. I know that my attitude is often repaired in prayer and sometimes I pray just so God can do that. So why would I be unhappy some one wanted to use prayer time as instruction, exhortation, even admonishing? I am not sure I know, but I think in part it has something to do with who is driving that car. When I want to have my attitude adjusted that is one thing, when you do that is something else entirely. I didn't even know I had an attitude, in fact I am sure I didn't until someone started praying about it and then, boy oh boy, did I have an attitude.
On the flip side, it is clear someone got worked up and took it out on the referee or someone else that shared it with the referee. I do not know how one is to respond to that. I know that ignoring it can work but only some times. Folks who are worked up hardly ever keep that state to themselves. It's not wise allowing them to infect everyone around them or to abuse those around them. Still wonder if a complete stop is the answer. Maybe it was, just not quite settled about it in my mind.
The ideal answer is to quit letting fallen, broken, messed up people play but then, who would be left. We might give out duct tape and make everyone tape their lips together but I think we would find away around that too. I would suggest praying about their attitude but that always gives me an attitude. Maybe we ought to practice seeing people as God sees them, made perfect in Jesus. Getting that 20/20 spiritual vision takes having some lens correction done, but it is very liberating to see what it is that God sees.
At least I hope it is. Wouldn't be a bummer if we got our vision fixed only to discovered that we could see way too clearly now! God is God and we are not. Thanks be to God.
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