On my morning jog (Monday), I was struck by something that entered my mind as I cycled thoughts through my mind. It occurred to me that red is a prominent color in my favorite sports teams. My old high school, who discovered winning after I left (North Shore Mustangs - last year's 6A champs in football) colors? Red and white. University of Houston, where I obtained a Master's degree? Red and white (number 8 in football last year in fact at the end of the bowl season). Texas Tech, where I obtained post-graduate hours to get a superintendent's certificate? Red and black, and they win more than they lose since I've been here and had a few years of competition.
The only diversion from this theme of red was my alma mater of record for my Bachelor's, Texas Lutheran, whose colors were black and gold and which was a place where athletes go for one last hurrah before hanging up the cleats. They recently built their own stadium after a lifetime of playing at the local high school stadium which, given the amount of money that gets funneled into athletics, was refreshing to see at least one school put it in perspective. Yet, in truth, it is hard to get fired up sitting in the wooden bleachers of a rickety old stadium built on a shoestring budget to see a college team play. Consequently, red was a dominant color in my schools and of the schools who produced winning teams.
The thought shifted however when I thought about this: Red is the color of the glue of our faith that binds us one and all. The color of red being that of Christ's blood. Christ put his blood on display for us while praying in the garden before his arrest. He put his blood on display while receiving a terrible and ferocious beating which would kill any man. He put his blood on display for us as he received his "crown" in mockery. And he put his blood on display for us while on the cross.
In 1 Peter, we read, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot." (1:18-19)
More important than any sports franchise, Christ binds us as brothers through his blood, and each Sunday we celebrate communion, we have the presence of his blood in the wine.
Pray we remember the blood of Christ, shed for the forgiveness, of our sins and that we never allow petty items to come between that blood that binds us.
Hope Men's Ministry
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