“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Romans 14:19 ESV
“Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a TEAM and find ways to win.”
A friend of mine saw this quote a few years ago on the locker room wall of one of her children’s athletic teams. The words are those of Emlen Tunnell, the first black player for the New York Giants and the first to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tunnell was also awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal for saving two of his shipmates while serving in the US. Coast Guard during WWII. At a time when blacks were not always welcome in the military or sports, Tunnell was a true team player.
In his Rector’s Report at our Annual Meeting last Sunday, Fr. Roman called us to honesty in our speech, humility in our lifestyle, the respect and protection of every human being, and a lifestyle of mercy and compassion. That, coupled with the fact that Super Bowl Sunday is on the horizon, made remind me that life is a team sport. I often enjoy asking folks what part of God’s creation was not good. Most reply, “Well, all of God’s creation is good.” Not so. In Genesis, we’re told that God looked at all He at created and said that it was “…not good that [the] man should be alone” (Genesis 2:8). Each of us was created by God to be in fellowship with Him and with one another. When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27 NIV, emphasis mine). If you will pardon yet another sports analogy, we are all teammates in this game called life, and all of us need occasional pats on the back and encouragement from our teammates.
In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (4:29 NIV). In other words, if we think before we speak and choose our words carefully, we can have a powerful impact on those around us. Lest you think this is just a lofty spiritual principle, consider that research has shown that, in order to have stable relationships, the ratio of positive to negative interactions should be at least 5:1, i.e., five positive interactions for every negative one. We often refer to this as the 5:1 Feedback Principle.
Most of you know that I spent the last fourteen years as a hospital chaplain. In the hospital, it is sometimes easy to know who needs our care. In the church, we need only to look around us. There are many in our every day circles who need encouragement and support. The best strategy, then, is to encourage all those who cross our paths. Why not try today to be a world-class source of encouragement and help to everyone you meet? Given the state of our world, the need has never been greater. One caveat: Remember that the 5:1 Feedback system means that three negative interactions require fifteen positive ones, four requires twenty, and so on.
Charles Kingsley, the great 19th century priest, historian and novelist, put it this way, “Make it a rule, and pray to God to help you keep it, never to lie down at night without being able to say, ‘I have made at least one human being a little wiser, a little happier, or a little better this day,’”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, just as You have lifted me up, let me lift up others in a spirit of encouragement and hope. And if I can help a fellow traveler, even in a small way, may it be to Your glory. AMEN
Blessings,
Steve+
