Rejoice

(I grew up with Woody Hayes and "that team up North".. I'm a big Buckeyes fan so yes I was rooting for UM to lose on opening day)

Rejoice…

I had the chance to attend the opening game of the Ohio State University football season this year. The Youngstown State Penguins never really had a chance of course, but they played with enthusiasm. The alumni band was there providing the bodies needed for not one, but four simultaneous Script Ohio’s. It was a beautiful day, the company was great and we won! What could be better?

Well an interesting thing happened that day. Not only did the 105,000 people have the chance to rejoice in the victory of their beloved team, but they found themselves rooting for their arch rival to lose. Every time an update was posted to the scoreboard the crowd would roar. And lose that rival did, in surprising fashion. After the game it was hard to tell which event was more pleasing to the departing crowds!

Now I know that even though this is the biggest rivalry in college football, it was just a couple of football games. And I now rooting against your rival doesn’t make you a bad person. But taking that kind of an attitude out into the rest of your life is clearly not the thing to do. In his letter to the Romans, Paul encourages us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice: mourn with those who mourn.” In other words, show empathy, show respect for other’s feelings, and show that you want to succeed because of your own merits, not because of other’s failures.

Yes, maybe even on Saturday afternoons.

Brian

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