Sporting Greatness

I guess I can indulge once a while in writing about sports. Even apostle Paul uses quite a bit of sporting imagery in his letters. In the past weekend we have witnessed the pinnacle of sporting greatness. Roger Federer won his 100 tennis titles just 9 behind Jimmy Connors. But in the modern game Federer is without parallel though Nadal has beaten him more often in their matches. Federer holds 20 grand slam titles the most among men. But the sporting greatness that I witnessed though delayed telecast is Ronnie O’Sullivan. Without doubt he is the best snooker player in history despite Stephen Hendry winning 2 more world titles than O’Sullivan. But O’Sullivan reaches his 1,000 centuries’ breaks on Sunday in the last frame and winning the Players Champisonship against Neil Robertson who beat the inform player of the year Judd Trump in the semi final. The final clearance and the sustained applause and standing ovation afforded as he hit the second last red to make it 100 points and then total clearance including the cue ball entering after the black was a fairy tale end and it was indeed sporting greatness.
Harry Kane or Ronnie OSullivan? Give me latter any day as his accomplishments are second to none to add to longevity since turning pro when he was 16 and now a ripe old age of 43. Last night you have Christian Ronaldo scoring a hattrick to overturn a 2 nil deficit in the first leg against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. These are sporting greats. They are good at just one thing - tennis, snooker or soccer. What are you good at? God had given us at least one talent and multiple spiritual gifts. If we excel in just one thing we shall be great in the sight of the Lord, perhaps not of the world’s fame but in God’s record books we have done great things. I think I am good at just one thing...biblical interpretation of Bible texts. It is good enough for me and I intend to excel in it. Perhaps it is the state of the church (did not Paul say there would be great apostasy at the end time 2 Thes 2) that Bible scholars are not wanted. Amos the prophet is right - there is famine in the land, not famine of food or drink but of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11).