T H E O P H I L U S

“When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.”

1 Corinthians 4:12-13

I remember the first time playing floor hockey at the local recreation center league as a kid because one of my school buddies had dragged me there after school. I had never played hockey before, but I still recall the rush of excitement I had of learning the sport. We would play every Tuesdays and Thursdays and was coached by a stellar man named Mario. He was possibly one of the coolest guys I knew, and really encouraged everyone instilling courage and good self esteem into otherwise troublesome kids who had nothing to do after school because their parents were busy working overtime. We were taught not only how to play floor hockey, but also how to respect our teammates, work together, and speak with encouragement and etiquette – good sportsmanship. Rather than learning to be competitive, Mario always tried his best to influence us with good, wholesome values and treated all of the house-league kids like his own. For the first time that year, I had received a trophy. Not because I scored points, but exactly the opposite. He called it the “hustle award” because every time I got knocked down by a bigger kid, I’d get right back up and went straight after the puck and would not give up until I had passed it to someone who could actually score. Though merely a tacky blue and gold plastic trophy, when Mario handed me that award and shook my hand I felt like I had achieved such a great milestone.

As believers and even as adults, sometimes we forget about such basic values. That good sportsmanship doesn’t just mean on the ice, or on the court but rather in everyday living. How do we respond to people that may seem like such a challenge to our already short temper or tolerance? The scripture even teaches us that we should do the exact opposite of what we think is the natural response. A natural response is not an excuse for poor choices or ill treatment of others – regardless of how others may treat us. As Christians, we believe in a Supernatural God, it means the ways in which God conducts himself is beyond what we consider to be a natural response to circumstances. Grace is every word that describes it goes against nature rather than to appease our sinful nature. Rather than to curse those who curse us, we bless those who curse us. When people persecute us, our natural response may be the conform. But God calls on us to endure even persecution for our faith by responding with kindness.

What the enemy wants from us is to conform to the “normal” or “natural response” to our fight or flight behavior of the flesh. Instead, today the Lord calls on us to go against the grain and lower ourselves down to the most humiliating place so that God can shine and show his greatness. That it is not about gaining revenge nor seeking vengeance, but rather to lay ourselves down even for our enemies.

“Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.”

– Henri J.M. Nouwen