Be ready to intervene in a crisis – In the course of any season of sport there are plenty of crises that develop. Many of them could be ideal opportunities for discussions of faith. My friend Charles Lynn says that, “When people’s need becomes greater, their resistance becomes lesser.” Simply put, when people encounter crisis, they’re much more ready to receive help from the Lord. Watch for injury or illness. Be aware of situations related to deaths in the families of coaches and players. Be close at hand when someone falls into a gross error or a character flaw becomes apparent to everyone. When their need becomes greater, their resistance will become lesser. Max Helton of World Span Ministries, a chaplain on the NASCAR (USA stock car racing) circuit, asks this question in moments of stress and crisis, “Is your faith working?” Such moments reveal a great deal about the strength of one’s faith.
Today marks the official beginning of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London with the Opening Ceremony this evening. Among the thousands of people in the Olympic Village throughout the event is a collection of our colleagues from around the globe. There are sports chaplains, carefully selected from a wide variety of ethnic, national and sport backgrounds, speaking many different languages and from both genders, who are officially recognized by the London Organizing Committee and provided uniforms and credentials. They work through the Olympic Village’s Religious Services Center and have already been in London for over a week. They will also stay beyond the Olympic Games to serve in the Paralympic Games. Please pray for these, our colleagues and fellow-servants, as they serve our Lord and the people in sport in these days of exhilarating triumph, painful defeat and even crippling despair. Some of these people were themselves Olympic competitors in past years and are thereby...
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