This past Christmas my mother gave my grandmother a card game. This game is called "Table Talk" and consists of 100 questions that are used to get to know someone on a deeper level. Her purpose in buying this was to learn things that we never knew about each other before. Every night at dinner each member of the family answers a question. One of my questions was: "What athlete do you admire?"
My athlete of choice was Jeremy Lin. The Asian sensation if you will. He is a devout Christian. He started a Bible study group at the University that he attended, Harvard. Starting a Bible study group is hard to do anywhere, yet to start one at Harvard takes courage and boldness. He did not make it to the NBA based on talent, rather humility. He had to fill many lowely positions, and develop patience, until he was finally chosen for a team.
An ESPN editor named, Anthony Federico, wrote an article about Jeremy Lin in which he described him as being the "chink in the armor" this was an offensive comment that made many people angry. Federico apologized and explained that his intentions were not to offend anyone and did not realize the severity of the phrase. ESPN fired him.
Jeremy Lin probably was not offended. He had games to worry about, not headlines to read. Yet when he found out about Federico, he took him out to lunch.
What?!?
Jeremy Lin took the reporter out to lunch and apologized that he got fired. Federico received grace from an unexpected source.
I know nothing of Lin's stats. Yet knowing this story is enough for me to admire him as an athlete. His character as a player is more important than the way he plays to me.
Many times as a Christian, I get caught up in the stats of Christianity. How many times I go to church, how many times I go to sunday school, have Bible study, and the list could go on. People don't take notice of that, and rightly so, they shouldn't. What is more important is my character, my heart. My actions should show the Gospel to others. Not the things I talk about having done, but the things I do. Being poured into at Church is not enough, I need to pour back into others.
Jeremy Lin could have said in an article "I forgive Federico" and that would have been fine. But to take him out to lunch, sit down with him, and love him with his actions, speaks a lot louder than his words ever could have.
"Ignore what people say. Pay attention to what they do."
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