FAITH Is at the Heart of Any Game

A NCAA baseball team says it stopped caring about winning to focus on Jesus & that faith in their Savior catapulted them to the World Series. Forty years ago my Chicago Cabrini Green high schoolers also used that faith to win Word of Life’s loaded international tourney.

As the Fox News coverage attested, the Division III players from Messiah College substituted “scripture to playcall wristbands as team went from 1-6 start to championship contenders.” As described by Head Coach Phillip Shallenberger and players, it had become “a season of devotion to Jesus” and being “good Christians” rather than playing with the main goal of “winning.” A lousy start can do force that look in the mirror. And even though Messiah didn’t win the title game, getting there with a 27-13 record is seen by them as miraculous.

Reminded me of same feeling I had as a volunteer coach for Moody Bible Insitute’s “Moody Blues” b-ball team of teens from Chicago’s ghetto, in which everyone came from a broken home. My team was fast but small, the tallest bring 6 ft 3 inches. Only two had experience playing organized ball. But, they all had heart. In the regular season playing other faith-based teams we had a passable .500 record. Yet, we somehow won the conference tourney to see who would represent it in the Word of Life Tournament culminating in Upstate New York. Few gave us a chance to win a single game. But, something happened after we were honest about ourselves & the need to make “it” about Christ. “FAITH” became our battle cry in practices, the locker room & every huddle. Over the regional, sectional & championship rounds we went 33-1. Unlike Messiah College, we won the big one. But, only with FAITH still on our lips & in our hearts.

Davd Soul