The Olympics are over! In other years that would mean I would get more sleep, but this year I only followed the Olympics, I didn’t watch them much. From what I saw, there were some awe-inspiring performances. Michael Phelps, the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and the men’s volleyball teams brought home gold in spectacular fashion. The stellar performances of teams and individuals were inspiring. We love winners.
Almost as if scheduled to provide the comic relief, the conventions of the two political parties are following the Olympics this year. Just like sports, the political arena is also a competition and it is clear that everyone who enters those contests enters to win. It would be hard to say which is more arduous, training for an Olympic competition or going through the marathon of primaries over the past year and a half. I don’t know about you, but I find the efforts of the Olympians much more inspirational than any candidate from any party. Still, in November, one candidate will win the election and become our next President and that is clearly a more important job than gold medal winner. The competitive aspects of the election and sports are surprisingly similar.
The difference between Olympic competitors and presidential candidates is that, though there may only be one gold medal given for each event, all of the athletes are “winners” in that they have competed on a world stage. In the case of presidential candidates, there is one winner and the others become whiners. Today it is hard to find someone who loses with dignity in the political arena.
In my years as a Pastor, I have become well acquainted with loss. I have stood beside people as they mourn the losses of their spouses, parents, and children. I have talked with people who have lost jobs and lost hope. I’ve seen a lot of people lose what is near and dear to them. Only rarely does someone endure a painful loss of a loved one and lose their dignity as well. All of us will at some time and in some way endure a loss.
It doesn’t, however, follow that you are a loser if you have endured loss. In fact, loss can be the pathway to tremendous gains. I believe that there is no more powerful opportunity for growth than when you are going through a loss. The pain and energy of grief can be directed for good: people grow closer to their families, they grow in their willingness to serve others, and they grow closer to their Lord during these times.
I think what happens when we endure the pain of loss is that we touch how completely powerful God’s grace is. In our grief we see how vulnerable we are and how precious every breathe is. When we come out on the other side of loss, we often see How God was supporting us through it all. We touch God’s love for us in Jesus Christ in ways that we couldn’t otherwise experience.
It was Christ who lost His life to gain heaven for us. There was no greater “win” in all of human history than the victory Jesus won on the cross.
So, here’s to the winners, even when their gain is through loss.