The day I’m writing this is Monday, February 22. Last night I watched an interview NBC sports personality Bob Costas had with the U.S. speed skater Apollo Ohno. Bob Costas asked Apollo about the rivalry he has with the Korean skaters. Apollo’s remarks were very interesting and informative. He smiled and said that everyone forgets that the skaters are friends and compete against each other all the time. They respect each other and also realize that somebody wins and others don’t. He also said that fans and the media make way too much of the rivalry. The athletes might get caught up in the emotions of a big race, but they will always be friends and always respect each other. They don’t like their competitive nature to be pushed too far by fans and the media until it becomes a misperceived, heated rivalry. Many of the Olympic athletes are just like that. They like to win, but they also know they are part of a larger community of athletes.
What can we learn from them? What does Jesus teach about that?
