• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Ministry in Media
  • Ministry of Reconciliation
  • Ministry of Presence
  • Events
  Arthur Rouner Ministries

ARTHUR ROUNER MINISTRIES

False Starts

10/10/2016

 
In the summer of 2016, many of us were spending time watching the wonderful and miraculous accomplishments of the young and strong, and indeed, of the beautiful and determined from many of the countries of the world.

They had gathered for the 31st modern Olympiad being held in the dramatic setting of Rio de Janeiro.

It was staggering to see what these young people could do with their bodies.  A number of vignettes told us of the dreams and sacrifices that they and their families had lived since these athletes were children.  Now they had competed, and developed, and mastered.  And come finally to their event, their race, their special thing that they could do so well.

There were stories of dramatic successes.  Of seemingly impossible dreams fulfilled and hopes realized.  Until one athlete was in the racks ready to run.  And suddenly a split-second before the gun fired to "go," the young man leapt forward to start his race.  It was his moment.  But he was a micro-second ahead of everyone else.  He had "jumped the gun."

Had he tried to gain an advantage over the others?  Was his leap forward intentional?  Or, was it an over-eager mistake?  Or "nerves" that had carried him away? 

This time there was no debate, no consideration, no second chance.  For this race, this time in his life, there was no second chance.  No forgiveness.  The judges ruled he was disqualified.  Immediately, it was over for that young man. The enormity of what had happened overwhelmed him.  He fell to his knees.  He buried his face in the cinders of the track.  He cried out.  He was mortified.  Ashamed.  Overwhelmed with grief.  It was over.  His chance was gone.  He hung his head.  He walked off the track.  He looked no-one in the eye.  He talked to no reporters.  It was the end of his dream.

Had he intended to seek a second's advantage?  Or, was it nerves?  An inadvertent mistake?  He probably didn't really know, himself.  But the rules were there.  They were unchanging and unforgiving.

What is ahead for that young man?  Is there any second chance, or repechage as the French have it, for intentional wrong competition?  Some way to take a longer track, to pay a certain penance, and find you are forgiven, and have another chance?

While we do not understand it, the whole understanding of Jesus' way, is forgiveness.  The cross, and the shame, and humiliation it brought to Jesus--and was intended to bring, could only have been worse than anything we, or that Olympic athlete, have born?

Forgiveness is almost beyond our human dimension of experience.   We think there is no way out.  God says there is always a way out.  It is the way of sorry.  It is the way of repenting for what we have done.  It is the way of asking God to give us eyes to see ourselves and the world.  To see our failure as something God wants to redeem, buy back, make over.

The way of forgiveness, the way of the cross, is the way of sacrifice.  It is the way of seeing ourselves beheld differently by the One Who actually gave us our lives in the first place.  It is the way of establishing, through God's life-giving love, a new way of seeing ourselves and the world.  It is the way of change.  Changing our hearts, loving to sacrifice, to serve, to give ourselves away - to others.  And, in so doing, to be ourselves changed with redemptive chances given to us, of which we could only have dreamed.

There is ahead, a new day, for that young athlete who made a false start.  And, there is a new day ahead for us, for whenever we've made a false start.  Something better comes for us.  Better than Olympic gold.  Divine gold.  A reality that comes re-born from heaven.


Comments are closed.

    Author

    Arthur A Rouner, Jr -
    Minister, Author, Leader of Forgiveness and Reconciliation Retreats, Minister of "Presence"

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. . ."
                                                                    2 Corinthians 5:18

Contact Us

>    Call the Faith Line for a daily message:  952-946-7987   <                                                                                    
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Ministry in Media
  • Ministry of Reconciliation
  • Ministry of Presence
  • Events