By FRANK REMKIEWICZ
Columnist
I played basketball from the time I was in sixth grade until I was 35. I love the sport, and I found that the reason I like basketball is the “team” concept.
Watching the Golden State Warriors of the last seven years with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and the rest of the Warrior rotation was like watching poetry in motion.
Football is the same. The Nebraska Cornhuskers of the 1990s and the Nick Saban Crimson Tide are examples of “teams” committed to winning through each person giving unselfishly so that the entire team can win. Whether Alabama wins by a last-minute field goal or Stephen Curry hits a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win, teamwork gets the win. It is a group of people committed to the same goal and each doing their individual assignment in an unselfish manner that secures victory.
It is also true that nothing reflects modern society more than team sports. For instance, Admiral Yamamoto of the Japanese Imperial Navy attended Harvard College from 1919 to 1921. Harvard went 9-0-1 in 1919, went to the Rose Bowl, and was declared the National Champion for that year. In 1941, after Admiral Yamamoto devised and executed the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was quoted as saying, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” Most historians believe that Admiral Yamamoto based that quote on having watched Harvard play football.
Nick Saban, the retired coach from the University of Alabama and a coach with an outstanding winning record and, in most circles, is considered the best recruiter in modern collegiate football. Recently, Coach Saban made headlines with this comment, “What we’ve created is a system that promotes self-indulgent behavior. In other words, ‘How does this affect me?’ We used to be on a team where the first thing that you thought about was, ‘How does this affect the team?’ Saban said. “If you made a mistake, or whatever, it killed you because you let your teammates down. I don’t know if you could blame the players for this, but I think you can blame the system to some degree because it promotes this. Everything about the system promotes this.” As in 1941 with Admiral Yamamoto, Coach Saban has described the way our society currently works. We have become a nation of self-indulgent children with very few adults in the room.
Consider the following: The angel said to Mary that she was going to give birth to the Son of God. Mary did not ask about how much she would get for her name, image, and likeness, she simply said, “…let it be with me according to your word.” When Joseph found out his bride-to-be was going to give birth, he did not enter the transfer portal; he simply followed the angel’s guidance and kept it to himself. When Mary traveled to her cousin Elizabeth’s house, she did not enter the threshold and do an end-zone dance; she said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”. Jesus came as part of a team: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. He came not to save himself but to save all of humankind. On that very first Christmas, Christ brought the gift of salvation for every single person from the past to the present and into the future. If you consider yourself a Christian, then you are part of the same team. Being a team player is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Being a loving and caring person is not just for Christmas but for all day, every day. Being a Christian is not any easier than “taking one for the team.” We block, so that another can run for the touchdown. We stand someone up so that another can strip the football so that another can recover it. That is a good football team at work. There is no room for self-indulgent behavior. No one should have the time or patience for work that detracts from team effort. The idea that I play a more important position than someone else should not cross our minds. No one should say words that detract from another player; it tears at the heart of the team and makes the entire team look petty and small.
We worship God because He is the creator of the universe. We thank Him for sending us Jesus, and we join the team through Baptism. We draw strength through prayer and worship. We eat at the team dinner through communion. We block and tackle through confirmation. We ask for forgiveness and reaffirm our commitment to the team through repentance. We recruit through outreach and evangelism. That is how the Christian team works. Team players feed each other to keep the team strong. We support and encourage each other to exceed team expectations. Team players check each other’s spirit to make sure the team outlook is focused on the goal. This Christmas, renew and revitalize your commitment to the team. We do not get to pick the team players; we accept them as they join the team. Christ will come again. It is our job to ensure that the team is working to bring Christ’s salvation to all of humankind. Remember this, this Christmas: “If not now, then when? If not me, then who?” May the peace of the Lord always be with you, and may God make His face to shine upon you and all your families this Christmas and forever more.
Francis (Frank) Remkiewicz is an area resident and contributes a monthly column focused primarily on faith and religion. He can be reached at fremkiewicz@gmail.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
