Curling

OK, fine. It is true. I enjoy watching the Olympic curling matches. My lack of understanding of what is happening is enhanced when neither of the teams speak English and the excited comments and gestures the players make are totally incomprehensible.

For those of you who have not yet discovered this sport, it combines the strategy of chess with the mechanics of pool, a delivery reminiscent of bowling and scoring similar to horse shoes - played by throwing granite stones down a sheet of ice. Oh, and there are people with brooms sweeping the ice to direct the path of the stone, adding a component of housekeeping to the sport. Not exactly a run faster, jump higher, hurl further sport that is indicative of traditional Olympic sports, but entertaining nonetheless.

There is something about watching Olympic sports. For the most part, these are athletes who have trained for the better part of their young lives for one thing - an Olympic medal. All, have competed in their own countries and around the world to qualify for the opportunity to participate in the games. And, of the thousands of atheletes who qualify to compete precious few take home a medal.

While watching a qualifying round yesteday for men's speed skating, the difference between going into the medal round and just going home was only 6/1000 of a second. Train your entire life and when it really matters, less time than a blink of an eye moves you from contention to defeat. And, no one but you and your mother will ever remember how close you got.

Most of us will never commit to the training and sacrifice that an olympic bid entails. But, we are all called to a race of our own. And, while most of our successes and failures will not be televised for the world to see (and then reshown in slow motion), we ,too, live our lives before a great cloud of witnesses. When we complete the race of our lives, the victory we are promised is not momentary, but eternal.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2