I’d like to give a shout out to the many Fall Sports Teams from the many High Schools that kids from our parish attend. You had some great wins, but unfortunately most of you ended the season with a loss. That’s too bad, because a loss does not define a year.
That is, unless you play for my nephew’s High School football team. Not only did they not win a single game this season, they didn’t win all of last year, and they won only 2 games in the last four years. Now that’s rough, but my brother (the nephew’s Dad) always says after a game . . . I care only about two things: Did you try you best and did you have fun. What a great way to look at any sport or any activity that has winners and losers.
Now, we can’t all be winners, and I don’t think it when everyone gets a participation award. Because sometimes we lose, and that’s just the fact. So let me give you an example, think of a Super Hero that you enjoy . . . Spiderman? WonderWoman? the new Black Adam which came out last week. Tell the person next to you who your favorite Super Hero is. [Allow time for this]
With every Super Hero you mentioned there is a time in the plot, where they are almost defeated. Almost taken down, almost losing. They are challenged by someone or something.
In some regards, Zacchaeus from the gospel story would be considered a loser. He was short. Which is weird that the scriptures even mentions that. So let’s say he is “challenged.” He’s too short to see Jesus, so he climbs up a Sycamore tree to see him. Now, I was in Jericho just a few weeks ago, and we saw the kind of tree that Zacchaeus would have climbed . . . not that big.
But what happens in the story is that Jesus recognizes his challenge, calls him by name and says that I want to spend time with you. Invite me over. That’s a big deal. And from that, Zacchaeus is transformed. Does he become taller? No. But he becomes different. He doesn’t stay stuck with his challenge (his loser status) but goes on to help others, make a difference and be generous.
Now the problem with Super Heroes is that they overcome their challenge, but remember it’s all pretend. It’s fake. But they make us feel as if we are supposed to be winners.
And for all of us, we don’t come to God by being winners. That is, doing it right. We come to God by doing it wrong. If you think that we will only be recognized by God because of our winnings, you have it all wrong.
“Our failures open our hearts of stone and move the rigid mind-space toward understanding and patience. It is in doing it wrong, being rejected, losing and experiencing pain that we are lead to total reliance upon God.”
When you win, the ego gets in the way and you think . . . it’s all about you. That is, you did it. You’re wonderful. And you may not have a need for God. How wrong is that? Think of Jesus [have everyone look at the crucifix] Our central symbol of transformation is a naked, bleeding man who lost, was a failure on many levels and died with nearly everyone rejecting him.
And if you’re honest with yourself, you can admit that there’s a part in yourself that feels like a loser: a weakness, a flaw, a wounded part of yourself. And that’s where grace comes in. Like the first reading said, “God loves all things.” and “God’s imperishable spirit is IN all things.”
You don’t have to be super at anything. You don’t have to fear being a loser. What you can do is answer these questions in any part of your life, or work, or play: Are you trying your hardest? Are you having fun? And from Jesus, do you realize that I know you . . . and how much I long to spend time with you? Invite me in.