Article April 2, 2012 Issue

A spiritual slam dunk

Tia Goebel

Swish! The crowd cheers in response to the first basket of a competitive game. The players settle into their rhythm as both coaches shout encouragement from their benches.

To some, basketball is just a game, but for me it is an opportunity to glorify God by exemplifying qualities such as sportsmanship, strength, and endurance. Radiant spirituality can be expressed in sports of all kinds.

One day, at a basketball open gym, one of my friends challenged me to a little game of one-on-one. I accepted, eager to practice some new moves. What I didn’t know was that my friend had retrieved a men’s sized ball for us to use. Three or four shots into the scrimmage, I went up for a rebound, and the ball, bigger and heavier than I was used to, jammed the index finger of my left hand. Still focused on the game, I continued to play without any difficulty. Although at that point I hadn’t given the injury any treatment, I’m sure that my familiarity with Christian Science naturally kept me from giving the scenario a second thought.

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