On Nov.2, 2014 there was a brawl at Texas Motor Speedway involving NASCAR crews, Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon. Much can and has been said about this but Denny Hamlin, who has had his struggles with Keselowski said this in an interview:
“If you ask me do you want a championship trophy or do you want the respect of your peers, I will take the respect from my peers because that trophy, they can’t put in my casket,” Hamlin said. “What’s the fun of a NASCAR [championship] party that nobody shows up to?”
As a Sports Chaplain, I do not hear Denny’s perspective very often in this “win at all cost” society. I think that Brad probably has garnered more fans as a result of his attitude and driving because this perspective of competition has been ingrained in so many. Last week I prayed with a team before a basketball game that “the competition would play their best and we would play our best” – there were not a lot of coaches or players saying amen at that point. One great reason Sports Chaplains are in the locker room – to give another perspective, hopefully one from above.
I love winning – love to compete. Winning is so much more fun that losing. But God teaches us when both happens. I do believe that God cares who wins and who loses. If he doesn’t care – tell me what else God doesn’t care about. Winning and losing affects lives in drastic ways – just ask any coach that could lose his job if he does not win this season. Does God care about his job and family? You betcha!
God is there when we win and when we lose – and that is not just a comment about sports.
Submitted by Ken Cross