Overlooking some overachievers

I heard somewhere that a big sporting event was going on half way around the world. Ok, so I’m only joking. I, like the rest of the world, have been entranced by all that is the Olympics. I must admit, sleep has been at a minimum for us over the last week. We have stayed up to watch the Games. We love it, mainly because it is the only time we really pay attention to some of these sports. I mean, seriously, how many of us watch gymnastics and swimming at any other time at all? (I have been to one swim meet at USC, but that was because I knew someone competing.) But this is the biggest stage in the world and I guess you could argue that these athletes are the best of the best. And so we watch.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you have probably heard about Michael Phelps’ quest for eight gold medals. That has been the story above all stories of these games. I hope he does it. I really do. But, I also hope we can move on and learn about some of these other athletes at some point. I’m sure we will after Saturday when swimming ends.

I was talking about all this a friend of mine the other day. He raised the issue that we are not hearing as much about the other swimmers and how the relays that Phelps swims are team events. He said, “What about those other guys? We have not heard nearly anything about them.” And then he made a comment that made me think. (“And this is the poetry that moved my soul.” A David Wilcox line for you.) “You know” he said, “It’s sort of like single people in the church. All we hear about is family this and family that and how the church needs to have kids so that it can have a future. What about us single folks? What about us?” I was blown away. What an awesome comparison. It is so true. The church has bought into the American dream wholeheartedly, the idea that you have to go to school and then get married and then have kids. That’s how we determine success, both as a nation and, unfortunately, as a church. But what about all those single people out there? What does the church do for them? How are they included? Now, one of the responses will always be, “What about singles groups at church? They have those, right?” And I am sure that most big churches do. But even then, singles say that groups like that are really used to try and hook singles up with other singles. And for what reason? So they can get married and have children of course. You see, we fall short is honoring people and giving them value no matter what their marital status is. In fact, the New Testament finds Paul going as far as to say that some people served God more faithfully when they were single and encouraged individuals not to get married. What a novel idea? What would our congregations think of that teaching? So, hopefully we can learn a lesson from the media’s coverage of the Games and honor all people, for exactly who they are as individuals created in God’s image, married and single. (Mad props Randy, mad props!)