Pastor's Note

MARCH MADNESS
March 18th, 2007

Many of us love the excitement of the annual basketball tournaments. This is true for both high school and college. Often, when the team of choice loses, good fans will find another team to support. I find myself frequently looking for the underdog or the little school, hoping they will pull off an upset.
The excitement comes from good basketball well played. There are heroic moments and feats of exceptional skill. Seeing players excel and use all their talent and stamina is inspiring.
However, there is a down side. A very good basketball fan recently reminded me that in each division, all teams except one end their season with a loss. No matter how good the season was and in spite of the strength of the team, they most likely will complete their year with a defeat.
Fans need to remember that losing does not mean that the team members are losers. A final loss does not extinguish the many wins or outstanding plays of the year. Sure, there is disappointment. But all those teams are still great! Sometimes we get so caught up in the thrill of seeing who will be champions that we fail to see the value of those who don’t make it.
Fortunately, in real life we don’t eliminate each other as we try to be successful. Most times, the opposite is true. We need to work together to be winners. Just as we try to do our best and excel, we don’t want to look at or think about others as adversaries. And we want to continue to respect and admire all that others do so well.