Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
Ben Ikin, Wayne Bennet’s son in Law, came to speak with the students at St Mary’s about a month ago. One of the stories he shared was about how Wayne Bennett chooses players for his squad. He makes them do 100m sprints. He asks them to give 110%. I assume he follows them on foot. The time the player has to rest between sprints, is the time it takes Bennett to walk from their starting point to the end of the sprint. When Bennett gets there, he asks the player to go again. It wasn’t clear how many times he would repeat this process. Ben shared that Bennet would look for how a player finished. Some would slow down as they reached the end line. Others would sprint right through it and overshoot. Bennett was looking for a particular set of character attributes
ReplyDeleteThe player was sufficiently committed to their fitness that they could recover after a 100m sprint in a very short amount of time
The player had the mental capacity to push past pain when all instincts would be telling them otherwise. When you are hurting and the coach is at the opposite end of the field, it is so much easier to time your finish so you waste no energy. You were only asked to run to the finish line, not beyond.
If you were to ask me to define spirituality, I would say: “The search for that which gives you the energy, motivation and purpose to act in a way that overcomes ego. I believe that all of us are a mixture of divine and ego. Ego is the self-serving, me-focussed, evolutionary drive in each of us. The divine is our innate knowledge of what is good, right, wholesome, and life-giving. Love, compassion, humility, forgiveness, peace, justice, mercy, hope, faith and obedience all come from the divine side of our beings. Each demands action that is beyond obligation.
ReplyDeleteYour insightful response to Luke 17:7-10 draws a compelling parallel between Wayne Bennett's approach to selecting players and the essence of spirituality. Both involve a relentless pursuit of excellence, a willingness to push beyond one's limits, and a commitment to something greater than oneself.
Bennett's method of assessing players' character through their performance in repeated sprints mirrors the challenges we face in our spiritual journeys. Just as the players must push themselves beyond exhaustion to demonstrate their dedication and resilience, we too must confront our inner demons and overcome the obstacles that hinder our spiritual growth.
The observation that the players who slow down before reaching the finish line represent those who easily succumb to temptation and self-preservation resonates deeply. It highlights the importance of maintaining momentum in our spiritual pursuits, not allowing our resolve to falter as we approach the finish line of our spiritual goals.
Your definition of spirituality as "the search for that which gives you the energy, motivation, and purpose to act in a way that overcomes ego" captures the essence of the struggle between our self-serving desires and our innate connection to something greater.
The distinction you make between the "ego" and the "divine" aspects of our beings aligns with the concept of spiritual awakening, the process of recognizing and aligning ourselves with our higher nature.
Your observation that love, compassion, humility, forgiveness, peace, justice, mercy, hope, faith, and obedience stem from the divine side of our beings underscores the transformative power of these virtues in shaping our character and guiding our actions.
The notion that these virtues demand action "beyond obligation" emphasizes the distinction between mere intellectual assent and genuine spiritual transformation. It is about embodying these values in our daily lives, not just acknowledging their importance.
In essence, your response to Luke 17:7-10 effectively links Bennett's player selection method with the challenges and rewards of the spiritual journey. It highlights the importance of perseverance, self-reflection, and a commitment to something greater than ourselves as we strive to overcome ego and embrace our divine potential.