Wednesday; November 5

I was watching an NFL game the other day and saw a play where one player hit another one.  The ball carrier didn’t get up immediately and I noticed multiple players take a knee and appear to offer a prayer.  In that moment I had interesting thought:  competition is fine – even in a sport as violent as football.  There is a lot of smack-talk in the professional league, but I wonder if it is more show that conflict.  When the chips are down, players do seem to care about each other.  I think there is a difference when it comes to fans who tend to allow their fanaticism taint perspective – but I get the feeling that most of the guys engaged in the game respect and care about each other. 

As I thought about this, I got to wondering about a similar situation in other arenas – especially in politics.  The folks in Washington, D.C. are known to be cutting and confrontational, but it wouldn’t surprise me if, at the end of the day, there is a sense of respect and comradery.  The problem comes about when their followers pick up the mantra and don’t have the internal relationships shared by those in the inner sanctum.  The vitriol is no longer for show and harsh words become hard feelings!  Let’s not get so riled up by rhetoric that we lose sight of personal relationships.  Competition can be fun and can advance causes; however, let’s not allow principles to overshadow our concern for people.

Think About It!

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