Present vs. Prominent

This is another in the series of reflections which will juxtapose two values which are held by people serving as sport chaplains and character coaches. If your toes don’t get stepped on a little, you’re probably not paying attention.

 

Present vs. Prominent

 

Many people who seek the role of sport chaplain or character coach see it as a place of prominence in their community. Some believe that being attached to the high profile team or individuals in their sporting fantasies allows them a measure of reflected glory and that would enhance their standing in the eyes of others. While this could in fact be true, it is also quite selfish and could carry a number of unintended consequences. If our hearts lean toward prominence we’ll seek opportunities to be very visible in the media, we’ll seek out television cameras, we’ll ask to be put in the team’s media guide or on the web site. We’ll hang around the sports reporters offering quotes for the newspaper or blogs. The prominence seeking chaplain will find ways to accompany the head coach or the star player at big public events. Some of these situations come to those who are not even seeking prominence.

 

Prominence seems to reward us for our role with the team, especially when the team is winning and enjoys the favor of the community. However, when the program is surrounded by controversy, shrouded in scandal or crushed by losing, prominence takes a less favorable turn and can bring shame to all those associated with it. Be careful. Watch your attitude and your hunger for fame. Being prominent is not always helpful to your ministry aims.

Being present with the men and women of sport, especially in the situations which are out of the spotlight is a wise and powerful aspect of ministry for character coaches, sport mentors and sport chaplains. While lacking the glitz and glamour of the press conference and the post-game interviews, simply sitting with a player prior to and after his knee surgery has an immeasurable impact upon your relationship with him. Talking quietly with the coach in her office about resolving conflicts among her coaching staff does not do much for your public profile, but can be of tremendous value to the coach and everyone related to the team. Feeling the grief and loss with a player whose father was just murdered, a thousand miles from where the player is in school, is neither fun nor immediately rewarding. Meeting with a young player who is homesick and contemplating leaving the team and quitting school to discuss his options as you drink a cup of coffee at the corner coffee shop doesn’t feel all that spiritual, but could impact the trajectory of this young person’s life and his family for generations to come.

 

Presence is a powerful force. When we walk in the room, onto the pitch, across the floor, or step into the dugout, we carry the living, active and powerful presence of Christ Jesus with us. His Spirit inhabits our every moment and by our simply being there He catalyzes the process of redemption. Before we think of anything clever to say, before we gesture or assume a holy posture, He is acting in the hearts of those we serve. It is the Lord’s work to draw men and women to Himself and to nurture their lives in relationship with Him. The great news is that He’ll often engage us in the process if we will simply choose to be present with them, more than we choose to be prominent before others.

 

Your presence is dynamic and revolutionary, because Jesus has made you that way. Show up where the men and women of sport are and you’ll find your prominence is really in the Kingdom of God. That matters eternally. The local, regional, national and international media, not so much.