Competition

We return to a favorite contextual parable of spiritual life – the concept of a life race, followed in the culture of Christian context.  This is a major difference from competition in the humanistic (secular) context.  In natural environment the competition is against individuals or against things.  The runner wants to beat his competitive runners.  The adventurer wants to be first ahead of others. Competition was so intense on who would be the first to fly the Atlantic that Lindberg took chances, even to the hour of take-off, in concern that another rival was about to take off for the first successful Atlantic flight.  Competition is constant.  It appears from conception in that you reached the ovum before all those other little swimmers got there.  We may unconsciously remember that when sibling rivalry begins – vying for position begins.  The choice of mates begins, and continues until we can gain cemetery rest – (odd thought).  Some cemeteries even make rules on racial prejudice for those who may be permitted burial in the property.  Unqualified death?

Although Scripture uses athletic competition for parable, the meaning is not that of the world’s competitive understanding.  The Apostle Paul noted it in that the world offers award – a wreath in ancient times, a medal in modern.  If the competition is modest, it may be a ribbon at the country fair, but it must be the blue ribbon.  The blue ribbon means that this young farmer had the best steer from the rest of the young farmers’ steers.  It was the steer that won in meeting the personal competition of what makes a well formed animal.  The owner receives award, the steer is sold at the end of the fair, and is butchered to be sold as prize beef as soon as organizations can get it to market through a competitive system.

God marks out the rules for the good life, which relates to immortality.  Everyone is invited to the game, and can win.  The competition is between my better self and my poorer self.  The guidebook holds out for an objective pattern, possible but as difficult or easy as faith perceptions limiting human nature can make it. The context is in humility that identifies a loser to those who are all out for the competition of nature.  The Christian is asked to serve and back away, to give without being recognized by some, even to give and be diminished for the giving.  (I Peter 2:19-20)  The Christian does not self-function in a belief of fairness, or appreciation (good things to give and receive) but presses on for the Lord’s approval in the evaluation of a life.  That is not an easy point to accept in the course of human performance.  Winners follow the rules.

The model for all this is Jesus Christ.  The most blessed person to have ever lived, offering nothing but sustenance (life), peace, love and mercy (redemption) to all, was treated as a criminal, and crucified as the ultimate judgment of mankind.  Early Christians misapplied the offering of Christ in many instances.  They actually sought to be found guilty of finding Christ to the point of becoming martyrs.  Some even responded to the church in some ways so to be found guilty of some church point and go to death.  On many occasions the inquisition did not declare the recalcitrant guilty so the devout man or woman was left to live.  That is what Christ prefers of us, but that the life we live should honor our Heavenly Father who created human beings for purpose.  That purpose is fellowship (pleasure) with him, and his nature cannot find fellowship of continuing love and approval with imperfection.  He responds to those who meet the competition of self to redemption in the grace, mercy and offering of Christ of the Cross and the victory of the open tomb.  This is largely foreign to the secular mind, even impossible.  It is illustrated for us in an event like Abraham and the prospective offering of Isaac.  The obedience of both persons illustrated the winning of this race, and the substitute offering appeared from the thicket nearby.   If understood we would see more reduction in self life to the quality of Christian life.  With significant overlap, the Christian and humanistic cultures are markedly different, and the differences are more and more accented as the Christians live (practice) the higher context.  Christianity asks more of us than secularism can provide.