“Let me win. But if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt.”
That is the athletes’ oath at the Special Olympics.
There are many great things about being the priest at Grace Church. One of the greatest is that I frequently give the invocation at the Special Olympics opening ceremonies here in Anderson.
The place is packed. It’s always at the Westside High School stadium. Folks from all over. It is one of the many great community events here in Anderson. The air is full of energy. Whenever I’m there I can feel that it is The Place To Be. There is no place better. I feel sad for everyone who can’t be there. They even have $1 hotdogs.
I have this one vivid memory from a couple of years ago. One of the high points of the opening ceremonies is the running of the torch around the track to light this big bowl of fire, the Olympic flame. The memory is of little George Sands running around the track with this flaming torch, full of joy and then everyone at the end trying to steer him in all his enthusiasm to light the flame, trying to direct him and stay out of the way of the flaming torch at the same time.
George gets to the bowl, holds the torch up to it and POOF the flame lights and the crowd goes wild. One of those memories that keeps coming back and making me smile.
Henri Nouwen once wrote a wonderful book titled In Jesus Name. It is an extended meditation on what true greatness and true leadership really are, and it is all about the ministry to and the ministry of the Special Needs community. God is made present in the world through this community, and God’s presence contradicts and challenges all our priorities and misconceptions of greatness.
Someone recently told me that there is something about individuals with special needs that just brings out the best in other people. And today’s Gospel lesson explains why.
Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
They bring out our best because we have welcomed God into our lives, in them God is present, we have welcomed and honored the holy, and the holy transforms us, POOF, like a flame being lit.
The disciples were arguing over greatness. Who is the greatest? Who wins? Who comes in first?
Jesus responds by redefining greatness; it isn’t about being the most powerful. It’s about welcoming the powerless, and in doing so we welcome the one who is the most powerful, whose power is found in the weakness and helplessness of the cross.
So who wins? Who is the greatest? Who finishes first? The one who makes sure that everyone gets to be in the race. Who makes sure that no one is left out. In doing so we discover the worship of God. We welcome and honor the holy. POOF. The Holy flame catches and spreads.
The Gospel is that God has embraced the world in Jesus Christ. Jesus is that embrace of God. When we share that all encompassing embrace , when we share and make that welcome we welcome the One who is singular, holy, who evokes our worship.
Jesus is building something, a table big enough for everyone, a kingdom with different rules, where the least carry the awesome presence of the Almighty, and those who come in first never even cross the finish line because they are too busy making sure everyone gets the chance to be brave in the attempt.