Basketball and Blessings

In this economy, more people in the United States and around the world are going hungry.  It’s not that the good people are winners and the bad people are losers.  Who is affected seems not to be a matter of skill or blessing, but of fate or chance.  Layoffs strike randomly and cuts in pay have a greater impact on those with lower incomes.

It’s the time of year that America is engrossed in NCAA March Madness.  Whether it’s President Obama betting on his favorite teams or the members of my church cheering on our local Cal Bears, there seems to be basketball everywhere.

For the young people in our community, March is also a big basketball month.  Each March, our church’s youth teams make their annual trek up to the annual Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church basketball tournament.

In the world of basketball, there are winners and losers.  The game is ostensibly fair, but often the outcome is determined by luck and factors out of our control.  A star point guard is injured, a referee is biased, or we just don’t have the talent to beat the competition.

Recently, in addition to talking about basketball, the youth at my church have also been talking about world hunger.  Last weekend, we participated in the 30 Hour Famine, a program sponsored by the non-profit organization World Vision.  The purpose of the 30 Hour Famine is for youth to fast and raise money to combat hunger.

In this economy, more people in the United States and around the world are going hungry.  It’s not that the good people are winners and the bad people are losers.  Who is affected seems not to be a matter of skill or blessing, but of fate or chance.  Layoffs strike randomly and cuts in pay have a greater impact on those with lower incomes.

This week, I will be giving the children’s message at church.  The scripture reading is from Luke, chapter 6.  It is the famous verses in which Jesus says to his disciples:  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. / Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. / Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”  I will be talking to our kids about basketball, and the importance of knowing that God blesses the losers just as much as he does the winners.

I believe that this philosophy is central to our response to this economic crisis, as Christians and as Democrats.  We must be a voice that reminds our communities that God is still here no matter how bad things are.  We also must work with our government and neighbors take action in service to the needs of those who find themselves poor, hungry, and weeping in this time of economic crisis.