The Olympic Spirit

 

The summer Olympics came to a close at the end of August.  I must admit I enjoy watching the Olympics.  I am somewhat of a sports junkie.  I become intrigued with the Olympics because you discover some unusual events we normally do not see or understand.  We get to see the tried and true sports we know more about.  I love to hear some of the human interest stories behind the athletic abilities.  We follow particular athletes from our country or other countries we enjoy watching them compete.  We get to see individual and team competitions.  I appreciate the spirit and demeanor of the games in the respect given to every country despite the number of athletes that represent their nation. 

The opening ceremony of the Olympics amazes me as the athletes parade in from all the countries.  It doesn’t matter if it is 300 or 3 from a country, pride and smiles are on all the faces.  The global experience to compete at the highest level for your country and you truly an honor and a blessing.  As the torch is lit in the main stadium there is excitement about the possibilities of what each athlete can do in their respective sport.

When we watch events we see all kinds of things that inspire us through the two week of events.  We observe Olympic and world records being broken.  We see athletes perform at a level beyond their own expectations.  We see premier athletes excel.  We see unexpected victories as new names and talent emerges on a global scene.  We watch the agony of those not able to reach medal contention.  We see athletes help or aid others who are injured during competition.  Even though each athlete represents a particular county there is a human spirit that rises above location that inspires our hearts.

As I was able to watch some of the closing ceremonies and reflected on all the events and athletes I observed over the past two weeks, I reflected on my own life and considered what I can do to inspire others or maximize my own potential.  We all need times in our life to reflect on how to be our best and how to represent our Christian faith in helpful and hopeful ways.  I invite us all to discover ways to be an inspiration to another person or family.  How can we make an impact?  How can our faith encourage others to see hope and possibility?  This congregation has even more potential waiting to be experienced.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Dr. Christopher Wilson

The Power of Love

I remember as a teen growing up with the song by Huey Lewis and the News entitled “The Power of Love”.  The power that love brings is more powerful than any other kind of love.  We can use the power of force, the power of hate, the power of fear, and the power of status to accomplish much in the world, but all the powers besides love come at a cost.

Love is what brings people together rather dividing people and tearing them apart.  Force, hate, fear, and status only allow certain people to get what they want while others lose in the process.  I often remind myself of Martin Luther King Jr.’s word, “Hat does not produce love.  Only love produces love.”  Love included getting to know another person, even if they are very different than yourself.  Love invites dialogue and respect of another before we place our assumptions and expectations upon them.  Love is honoring what God has created in the world.

Our world climate is one filled with all kinds of narratives that illicit fear, need of security, and even hate toward others.  We see it in our political climate, shootings in our country, and countries that are at constant odds with one another.  As people of faith we serve ourselves and God well by living into the footsteps of Jesus who laid out a path of discipleship that leads us directly through love if we are to follow.

The power of love is real.  Let us lean more deeply into love before we lean any other direction.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Dr. Christopher Wilson

Breathe

The spring is a busy time for individuals and families.  We reach the end of May and we want to take a deep breath before the summer begins.  There is something to taking a breath between two periods of time.  Breathing is what calms the body down.  Breathing is acknowledging we need a period of rest and reflection. 

We can play mind games with ourselves and say, “If I can just get past this one thing all will be fine again.”  I call this the hurdle game.  If I can get past this hurdle that is all that is needed.  We all know another hurdle will make an appearance.  Instead of being surprised another hurdle has appeared, we should take a deep breath and ready ourselves for what comes next.  There is always something else that will unfold in our lives.  What we need are the tools, people, mentality and faith to guide us through what life brings. 

The fast pace at which our society now moved does not lend itself to stopping, resting, or breathing for that matter.  I believe our church offers people a place for rest, equipping, and strengthening for life’s journey. It can be found in our worship, our study opportunities, our service activity, and in the deep relationships that are created at church.  Our times at church or activities with church people allow us to breathe. 

As summer is now upon us take time to breathe.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Dr. Christopher Wilson