Quotes

"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning."


C.S. Lewis

"The fingers of your thoughts are molding your face ceaselessly."


Charles Reznikoff

"Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere."


G.K. Chesterton

"Humility enforces where neither virtue nor strength can prevail, nor reason."


Francis Quarles

"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil."


C.S. Lewis
A Lesson from Wimbledon
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Monday, 04 July 2011

Article by Cameron Spink

 

The Wimbledon Gentlemen's Final was held last night and taken by an emphatic Novak Djokovic in four sets. While this win will not generate as much press in Australia as his win in our iconic Open earlier this year this is the indisputable holy grail of tennis. See the final moments of the match below:

 

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Djokovic has had a professional year on the circuits to rival the history books. He has won 47 of a total of 48 matches this year and brought home prestigious silverware like the Hopman Cup, the Australian Open, the Dubai Tennis Championships, the Sony Ericsson Open, the Serbian Open, the Madrid Open, the Rome Masters and now Wimbledon.

 

In doing so, he has broken the shackles held by tennis's two leading men Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He may never match Nadal's or Federer's Grand Slam totals (ten and sixteen respectively) but, right now, he deserves the title as the best professional tennis player in the world.

 

Anyway, I am showing my hand as a sports fanatic. The real message that I contemplated as I watched Djokovic sink to the ground in elation was one that Paul touches on in his letter to the church in Corinth. Paul challenges his readers to:

 

Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 

As Christians we have something great to hope for. It is something more worthy of elation than the Cup and large cheque which Djokovic won yesterday. It is everlasting and achievable no matter what our physical abilities. Sometimes I have to question my joy as a response to the prize that Jesus has won for us. Perhaps, it is because the nature of this prize is one which we cannot win alone (unlike Djokovic's individual performance, albeit he is backed by a superb coaching and support team).

 

Djokovic was ecstatic because he won the ultimate prize in tennis. Why can't we be as ecstatic about receiving the greatest prize we can receive in our paltry time on earth. Does your heart soar every time you think about the victory of the cross?

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