By Daniel Hawkins, Senior Pastor, Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church
“How did they end up in our section???”
As I sat there on that early fall day, so much was familiar. The firm steel bench, the charged energy in the air, and the smell of Dr Pepper and popcorn all told me that I was home… or at least I was at Floyd Casey Stadium. Like many other Saturdays in my childhood, I sat with my family at the 40-yard line, ready to cheer on our Baylor Bears.
As I looked around our section, I saw lots of green and gold, but I was confused to see white and burnt orange.
When I asked my dad the question that begins this column, he smiled and explained that they weren’t our enemies. They were doctors, lawyers and local business owners. They were our friends, neighbors and members of our church, simply rooting for a different team.
This moment was an early introduction to a universal truth: people are always more than the labels we give them.
As we make our way toward the Friday night lights and big games, we’ll naturally cheer for our teams. Healthy rivalries can be fun. But our culture often turns far more than sports into an “us versus them” contest.
Jesus offered a different way.
In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Praying for someone doesn’t mean agreeing with them or pretending differences don’t matter. Prayers shrink the distance between us.
This fall, enjoy the rivalries. Cheer loudly! But don’t let the stadium mentality become your way of seeing the world.
The people on the other side of the aisle, screen, or scoreboard are created in the image of God. Perhaps one of the most countercultural things we can do is simply pray for them.
The Pastor’s Place features columns written by a different area church leader each month. Call 940-728-8284 for more information.
