Whose team are you on?

I met with a group of men from across the Southeastern US this past weekend. As it was a bit of a retreat, we met in a building that did not have a television. I happened to have a laptop computer with a wireless (WiFi) card, and they had WiFi in the building. As we met all day
Saturday, my computer became popular during our infrequent breaks so that people could check the score of their favorite football team.
One of my friends who was at the meeting has an email that begins tigerrag. Would it surprise you that he hails from South Carolina?
There were a few who “wore their colors” during the weekend. That’s a little surprising in that it was a Christian gathering. Yes, a few wore cross necklaces during the weekend, and some wore shirts that showed their membership in our Christian group, but there were more than a few who outwardly were showing their support for their team.
To be sure, I’ve got more than my share of NC State stuff, and after my older daughter enrolled there, my number of shirts, sweatshirts and jackets with NC State logos has increased. Since my baby girl enrolled at Carolina, I’ve got some UNC stuff.
I won’t say that there is a balance in the amount I have. I’ve been a State fan for over 30 years, and my daughter just graduated from graduate school there, so I’ve had some years to build up my collection.
My younger daughter wants some equal time, some symbol that she is important. I would hope that she would understand, but if I wear NC State stuff exclusively for several days while she is home, her feelings get hurt. Yes, it’s just a shirt or a jacket, but it is a symbol. We may talk about how superficial that is, but symbols count.
If they didn’t count, why would we go out of our way, and spend as much money as we do, to make sure we have fan wear. If for nobody but ourselves, we want to wear things that show allegiance to our team. And we take pride in winning.
A few years ago on a Spiritual retreat, I received some little gifts. By themselves, they were not worth much, maybe $1.00 apiece, and they were given anonymously. They were little symbols. We called them “agape,” that Greek word for unconditional love. The cost of the gift had
little to do with the worth of the gift.
One of my favorite memories comes from one of those Spiritual retreats. The particular place where the retreat was being held had a kind of motel type of room, and there were maids who daily cleaned up those rooms, as you would expect.
Often during these weekends, people will wear the agape gifts they receive. Often some of those gifts will be cross necklaces of one sort or another.
As one of the men was walking in the motel area, one of the maids commented to him, asking why some of the men were wearing several crosses while some wore none or perhaps only one. He recalled that at the moment he came up with some flippant remark, but a few steps later
was stopped in his tracks. He turned, apologized, and said the reason some have more is they have not given them away, and he put crosses on the two ladies.
That story inspired me. I have given away lots of crosses since then. I have bought lots of small wooden cross necklaces and I give them away to lots of people. When I give them away, I ask them to wear it on the outside of their shirt that day, but after they get home, to continue to
wear it on the inside of their shirt.
I tell them if they are like me and haven’t worn anything like that, it may be a little uncomfortable at times. It may rub you at times. When you get too much change at the drive thru, maybe it will rub you the right way. When you go in the convenience store and you are tempted to look over at the pornography on the magazine rack, maybe it will rub you the
right way. I usually have some around, so if you’d like one, I’d be honored to give you one.
The story has another side to it. While that love is given to us unconditionally, and we do nothing to earn it, still, it changes us. As the song Pass It On says, “I’ll shout it from the mountain top - Praise God, I want the world to know; the Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on.”
I have given away lots of nicer crosses, as well. It’s just a symbol. Don’t you know people who beam with the love of Christ? Don’t you know people who pass it on every time you look on their face?
How about you?
I have been called to serve in a ministry to men through my church, Princeton United Methodist. As we have officers and different levels of officers, we have meetings to talk about the ministry and elect officers. Marilyn and I were in Atlanta this past weekend for one of those meetings. I’m in the ministry because of a man named Mack Parker from Raleigh. I met Mack eight years ago at a church retreat that had nothing directly to do with this ministry, and I can’t say that we immediately hit it off. In fact, I’m not sure we said much to each other on that weekend.
Mack, however, beams with the love of Christ in his life.
Five years ago Mack looked me up and asked me to get involved in
this men’s ministry with him. I did, and I continue to serve with him
today. He rode to Atlanta with Marilyn and me.
Mack has been my mentor in this ministry. He has groomed me for
leadership. He continues to advise me on what to do and how to do it. He
recognizes our gifts are different and allows me to do things my way, but
he helps me understand how to work with and through others.
Mack is a black man. He’s very astute and perceptive. While he has
helped me immeasurably in this ministry, he’s also made me more aware
of sensitivities to perceptions of black people in mixed racial situations.
He’s my friend. I owe him a lot.