Many of you will be aware that this year ECS added Track and Field to its spring sports offerings. Technically we only offered Track, because we don’t have the equipment, space, or know-how to offer any Field events just yet, so we stuck to running.
We were fortunate enough last weekend to send five athletes (four distance runners and one sprinter) to the state track meet in Yakima. It was a great weekend in just about every way, but my aim for the moment is to make a few quick observations from the weekend as one who was witness to the Raggants’ representation among some 125 other schools from the state of Washington. Now, my focus was on our school, not other schools. I have no interest in disparaging any other school, though I am interested in our presence in the state, and there were folks there from all over the place who heard about us for the first time last weekend.
My first observation is this: We are not athletically exceptional. Our boys finished in 10th place of 35 schools, and our girls finished 15th out of 41 schools. Many other schools – even some sister classical and Christian schools – were better represented, and good for them! We did fine, and especially for a first-year program. We even brought home a championship in one event, but athletic prowess was not our defining feature.
My second observation is this: We travel well! We had about a dozen people make the trip over to watch our runners who were not related to any of the runners, and we had another twenty supporters who were related to the runners. The results is that there was a loud orange party in the upper right corner of the grandstands. When a Raggant was announced at the starting blocks or on the podium, our pocket of fun erupted.
My last observation is related to the one just before it, namely this: We bring the party. We found the cheapest motel in Yakima and turned it into a resort. The pool was closed for maintenance, but our intrepid Raggants had a good time anyway! There was a gravel lot across the parking lot…and we had a frisbee, five abandoned rubber tires, a wiffle-ball and bat, an ice chest, a Blackstone grill, and a lot of food.
Seventeenth-century Anglican theologian Jeremy Taylor quipped that “God threatens terrible things, if we will not be happy.” The obvious implication is that God wants us to be happy, and to delight in Him by receiving well the good gifts He gives. This is impossible for those who refuse to give Him thanks.
Conversely, a grateful and joyful life is compelling. We have a fun duty to have a great time when we are among unbelievers. King David penned it well: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5). God provides what we actually need all the time, everywhere. I’m not categorizing our athletic opponents as enemies, but the majority are secularists, and we want to make them jealous for the blessings that we have in Christ.
I’ll say it again: Like the Apostle Paul, we are trying to make others jealous, and this is faithful obedience (see Romans 11:11-14). We want them to have what we have because God is good and gracious and it can be theirs in Christ. We did not earn our blessings, they are gifts from God. What I saw this weekend was an on-the-ground demonstration of this sort of faithfulness, and I was encouraged. It was inviting…and it was supposed to be! We offered barbecued chicken to more than one passerby, and left the grandstands cleaner than we found them.
As it turns out, an athletic program affords all sorts of opportunities to engage with the world and showcase the joy of Christ. From enthusiastic volleyball crowds to soccer supporters that hang around long after the game is over to track observers who share cookies with fans from other schools, we get opportunity to apply our feasting mindset. And it also turns out that a trip to State presents these opportunities in spades.
The sports seasons are over for now, but we’ll do it again in the fall with volleyball, soccer, and cross country. Don your outrageous orange T-shirt and come see what I mean, and maybe you’ll get an opportunity to boast in Christ before secularists while cheering on our teams.
Risus est bellum!
Jonathan