There is a quote that comes from the
documentary, Basketball or Nothing,
on Netflix that one should consider
if he or she is an active pursuer of life.
I am not sure who the quote comes from, but I imagine it came from the Chinle
Wildcats basketball coach, Raul Mendoza explaining how important it is for his
senior players to succeed. Mendoza says:
“At this level, having to endure, persevere or survive is having to do the
things that may not be easy.”
Basketball
or Nothing
is a documentary about the Chinle High School boys’ basketball team from the
Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona. As
with many reservations across the country, basketball is more than just a
game. It unites communities and is often
the main source of entertainment in remote and rural parts of the country. It is a sort of medicine for the communities
and its people as they battle poverty, high unemployment, high alcohol, drug
and suicide rates. Basketball is an
outlet for teenagers who are battling hardships at home and it offers an
opportunity for players to leave the “Rez” and help their families and
communities.
Thus, the quote--“At this level, having to endure, persevere or survive is having to
do the things that may not be easy”—carries a lot of weight when
considering its setting.
Though the documentary focuses on the
efforts of the team to win its first state title in basketball, there is a lot
more going on that is of greater importance.
As the series progresses towards the state tournament, other issues
begin to become the focus as the coach attempts them to look to the
future. What happens when basketball is
done? Will the seniors go on to college
either on a sports or academic scholarship?
Will they fall into the trap of being stuck on the reservation, or will
they be able to go to college, graduate, and come home to help their families
and community? This all gets mixed into
the big picture of “enduring, persevering, and surviving.”
Especially when no one knows what the
future holds.
Such is the case for those who are
reading the letter written to the faithful in Hebrews this morning. As
with many such New Testament correspondence,
this letter is a one of encouragement to those whose faith is being tested . .
. through persecution. As we started
with last week and continue with this week, we are given a running commentary
of those faithful from the past who endured in their faith despite never
realizing what they had been promised. None of these faithful received what
they were promised; yet, they are commended for their faith. Commended because they never quit . . . never
gave up . . . as they strived towards what was still to be realized—the Kingdom
of God.
This is the “halftime” speech to a weary
group of players. This is the coach
willing the team towards victory by recalling all the past players, their
exploits, and their refusal to give up whether in victory or defeat. Isn’t that what the writer is saying: “Therefore,
wince we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that son easily entangles, and let us run
the race marked out for us.”
Maybe the writer could have shortened it
up and just used Larry the Cable Guy’s catch-phrase from his standup routine:
“Get ‘er done!”
“Get ‘er done!” Get the job done. We have all heard that phrase a good part of
our lives. It is what we are told
whenever we are doing some sort of task, job, or chore. It is what we are told when we belong to a
team playing a game. It is something we
heard going through school . . . through work . . . through marriage and family
. . . through life. We are always being
told to “get ‘er done!” And, now we are
hearing it in our scripture reading this morning. As the faithful, we are being told to “get
‘er done!” That is what the writer is
telling the original recipients of this letter, and that is what the writer is
telling us.
As I stated earlier, no one knows what
tomorrow will bring . . . or even if tomorrow will come. There is a sense of uncertainty that comes
with living life because we just do not know.
Despite that uncertainty, we still have a job to do . . . a task to
complete. And, what might that job or
task be? In my mind it can only be one
thing and that is to live our lives to the best of our abilities as a witness
to the Kingdom of God. We are to be the
best whoever we are as created by God.
We are to be the best at loving God and at loving others. We are to strive to live that which is
promised.
That is hard.
Is that not what the faithful in our
reading this morning was striving for despite the hardships and persecution
they faced? It hard to remain faithful
and strive towards the kingdom when everyone is kicking you in the teeth and
making life miserable. Yet the writer
reminds us to remember that “great cloud of witnesses” . . . to remember those
faithful who came before them. The
writer reminds them that they did not give up even though they never received
what was promised them. They moved
forward because they believed in what was not yet seen . . . believed that it
would be better.
So, the writer encourages them to “get
‘er done!”
And, writes the author of the letter, if
the past is too far in the past . . . consider a contemporary . . . Jesus,
himself. Consider Jesus—his life and
witness—as the model for getting the job done.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
No one ever said it was going to be easy
. . . this game of life and faith. God
did not promise it. Jesus did not
promise it. No one ever promised
it. We are fully invested in the
adventure . . . fully invested in the task that is set before us. And, because we are, we hear those words of
Coach Mendoza once again: “At this level, having to endure, persevere or
survive is having to do the things that may not be easy.” And, despite it all, we are called upon to
“get ‘er done!”
We are to remember those who came before
us.
We are to remember and model the one
that we follow—Jesus.
We are to focus on the adventure before
us . . . to endure that which is thrown at us . . . to persevere against the
odds . . . and, to survive.
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