In order to uphold my promise to try and be as objective as possible, I thought I'd start out my review of the relative value or inherent evil of competition with some thoughts on a couple of the negative outcomes it often produces.
I played intramural basketball in college (which was when I finally recovered from the great disappointment of being cut in 8th grade, though I deserved it because I faked a sprained ankle to get out of running sprints). This was a good experience for the most part, but there were times when it didn't do wonders for people's relationships. I had my share of less than plesant verbal exchanges and giving a little extra elbow in the post, but let's not talk about me, that might be too convicting.
I remember one instance in particular when a couple guys started getting a little rough with each other and it just kept escalating everytime up and down the court. The culmination of this exercise in stubborn anger one-upsmanship was one of the guys taking the basketball and hurling it at the other guy from about five feet away. He apologized after the game (the guy that threw it) but it didn't do wonders for their relationship.
There is something about competition that can, and often does, lead to anger--and not the righteous kind we Christians like to talk about to let ourselves off the hook when we get mad. In competition it is easy for pride, emotion, and adrenaline to wrap themselves into an anger ball that seeks to destroy the other. This often leads to guilt, embarassment, and the breakdown of relationships--over a game, or a grade, or a person.
So there's negative of competition #1, more to come.
8 comments:
Great question. Basketball led to the two most serious injuries I ever had--one an accident and the other due to deliberate elbow swinging by a Denver Seminary student on the old court back in the late 1980s when my bad knee still let me play some. I think most of the competition in my younger years was OK, maybe because I was never that great, but my competitiveness (whether in sports or in the classroom) was probably the last thing I consciously started turning over to Christ, somewhere in college.
First, is Craig B who I think it is? I still have yet to have a post by my trainig and mentoring small group leader for 2 1/2 years on my blog! BTW, Dr. B is the man!
Now to the other Dr. in your life...your office mate...me Did you sin against me on the staff retreat when you threw your large BUTTOCKS flat into my gut as you violently boxed me out?
Craig-Did you find that as you gave that to Christ you could still engage in competition and enjoy is, just without the negative effects?
Yeah, I just don't count on winning anything any more so that I'm pleasantly surprised when I do--though around family and close friends who choose to be friendly but cutthroat I can get the old juices flowing!
Trevor, it is Dr. B!
On a serious note, I was deeply confronted with my sinfulness when I coached our church basketball team as a freshmen in college and got kicked out of two games...in a church league.
My mentor was at one of those games and it was then that I learned that my obsession with winning was sin...for me.
That expectation change has been important for me too. Also reminding myself that the outcome of a game truly doesn't matter much when I start to get a little worked up.
For me it was an identity issue!
I'm assuming you mean learning that your identity wasn't based on winning or losing something?
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