Article August 11, 1980 Issue

Jesus' example to athletes

Mark Billings Raffles

Because Christ Jesus didn't outwardly compete with anyone, we may think his works don't have much application to competitive athletics. On the contrary, no one has ever better demonstrated the qualities of consistency, freedom from harm, love, and humility—qualities natural to athletic excellence. Jesus' words and works provide the supreme example of how to deal with human situations, including those involving intense physical and mental demands. Athletics provide many opportunities for us to demonstrate, in a modest way, the ... same Christ-power today that Jesus demonstrated centuries ago.

Jesus' career proved that discord of all kinds—death, insanity, storms—can be destroyed through the understanding that God is omnipotent and the material picture false. His healing record is vital evidence that God constantly maintains man's perfection. Has the healing Principle changed? Absolutely not. Nor has our right to demonstrate this Principle, which we can do through Christian Science. Athletics is an area in which we can begin to prove the indestructible harmony of God's creation. By acknowledging that man consistently manifests God's omnipotence, we can challenge such negatives as belief in home-field advantage, bitter rivalry, belief in jinxes, or anything else that would prevent us from doing our best.

Jesus' teachings were so threatening to matter-based thought that he was often ignorantly hated. Although he carried out his mission with the purest motives, he was threatened, jeered at, and ultimately crucified by those he sought to bless. Yet even in his tremendous trial on the cross, he prayed for those who tried to destroy him: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."^{Luke 23:34;} What an awesome example of unswerving love. The taunting or physical intimidation that sometimes arises during an intense athletic event may test our desire to approach that love. We may feel tempted to hate an opponent, fan, teammate, or coach. At such time we can remind ourselves of how much Jesus endured, yet without retaliating. Through his resurrection he showed that real identity is spiritual, not to be harmed or controlled by hatred and aggression.