My Team, My Tribe, My Parish: It’s Friday Night Lights

High school football begins tonight.  It’s colloquially referred to by many as “Friday Night Lights.” I don’t have a kid of my own playing. But my tribe will be there in the stands on the field. In the stands will be the students, many of whom I coach in track and field. Also, seated under the press-box in the center of the bleachers, there will be parents, teachers, grandparents, siblings, and other folks who just like a good game.

It took me too long to recognize this, but these families, gathered around sports are my tribe, my people, my parish. If we got to talking about politics, the environment, immigration, or whatever other hot topic there is in the world, we could easily be on different sides. But tonight, we are cheering on the same side. Maybe this little bit of loyalty is not going to the change the world. But on the other hand, maybe it is the only thing that will.

Youth Sports Participation Declines

For the first time in a generation, the National Federation of High Schools announced a 43,000 drop in high school sports. Granted, for many sports is not a priority. The Washington Post reported that this drop doesn’t account for kids who now play one sport instead of two or more, nor does it count the kids who participate in club sports. What we miss in those numbers are the number of parents, community members and leaders who are not getting together.

The decline in youth participation in high school activities, especially the public performances like sports, drama, orchestra and more does not count the number of missed connections. The happenstance conversations between people. There’s a lot missing here, more than just a game.

My Tribe, My Parish

Earlier this week I was watching a presentation by Judith McCartney, a church planter in Toronto. She was describing her church plant, Soul House, at a gathering of the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada. In her story of becoming a church planter, she described the relationships she had developed with other families of elite high school athletes. She called this relationship, “my tribe.”

I began to reflect on my similar tribe. As a high school coach, I have developed relationships with a number of coaches. The coaches, at my high school and others in the valley, this is my tribe. But there’s also a “parish”, a place that is larger than my tribe, but includes many of these relationships.

Tonight, I’ll be sitting on the fifty-yard line with my friend and coaching colleague, Cliff. We’ve known each other for years. We come to games and talk up track and field, even though it is months away, but we meet kids, talk with parents, and just hang out at the game. We mingle among the fans and families; these are the folks of our parish.

Love the Home Team

The prophet Jeremiah, in a vastly more difficult context encouraged exiled Judah to love the city. These people were beaten, humiliated, and taken away to a foreign land. They suffered violence and the hands of the Babylonians. Yet, given all of this, Jeremiah calls for enemy love. Love that goes beyond merely putting up with others and pretending to be kind. Rather, to dig into the city and live and love there.

“These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7).

I think God wants us to cheer for the home team

Tonight, the high school season begins. I’ll see student athletes who will call me “coach”, we’ll high-five or bump knuckles. I’ll might get to talk to some of the parents of my athletes. I’ll see my fellow coaches. And all this is because God wants me to cheer for the home team, my team. I’m to be present, at the very least, as a testament of God’s love for this community. No preaching. No proselytizing. Just being there. And cheering for our kids.