A few days ago, my good friend explained Fantasy Football to me. Now, I’ve never even had a desire to understand, let alone play, Fantasy Football. I don’t even remember how the topic came up. Needless to say, we were driving around and it came up. He proceeded to explain FF to me, but upon seeing that I didn’t quite grasp it, he gave it to me in a metaphor which included scheduling speakers for youth conferences. To quote: “You wouldn’t schedule Mark Hart for a teeny tiny breakout session, when he’s a big enough player to pack a room of thousands for a keynote.” He said this to help me get the whole draft thing with all the rounds. Believe it or not, I got it.
Last night, was the first game of the season, so we watched New Orleans play Minnesota. Whilst we watched (I love the word “whilst”), I asked a billion questions about how you earn the points exactly in FF and what every rush/touchdown/pass meant. I even surprised him when I understood the differences between Questionable and Probable categories for players in your own team. Go me. For a long time, Derek kept explaining things in the metaphor of youth conference speakers. I had to eventually stop him mid-game and tell him that he didn’t need to do that anymore…that I actually really did get it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no profesh, but I think I want to join a league next year. It’s all very interesting and kind of fun to me.
I share this story for a few reasons:
1) To let the world know that I’m not a ditz when it comes to sports. My father played basketball and football in high school and football in college and made sure to teach me a thing or two about sports. I may not be good at anything, but I understand it. (Sidenote – I love Baseball and even thought my ‘Stros have sucked it up this year, I am a die-hard fan. I can watch baseball all day and be entertained.)
2) Also, to explain the learning process of our small human brains. Let me explain:
You see, I think that we as a human race (God bless us) are completely self-centered. Our personal worlds are so small and close to us, that it’s hard for one to comprehend something outside of our selves. I understand thing in reference to what I like and what I know – like dance, stories, speaking, flying, etc. Derek had to explain fantasy football to me in a way that I would understand. He knew that I understood speakers and booking and scheduling, so he went that route.
Quick story – when I was in high school, I danced. A lot. I was in charge of my team at school. I would choreograph and teach dances and keep people in line. When you dance, it helps to have a story for motivation. If you’ve ever watched SYTYCD, the choreographer usually has a story they are trying to express in dance because words just won’t do. They typically explain it during the clip of the dancers learning it. It helps the dancers to know the story behind the choreography so that they can appropriately communicate the story to get the audience to participate in said story and feel what cannot be expressed in words. In high school, the girls called me “Mother Goose” because everytime I taught, I gave a story to explain how to dance. One of the routines was a kind of angry piece put to a medley I created from “Road to Perdition” (great soundtrack) and the story was about the Storming of Bastille that we learned about in History class. Google it. I told the story of what happened so that the girls could better understand the emotion I wanted them to express in order to get the audience to enter into the story. Just like the SYTYCD choreographers, I tried to get the audience to enter into my story by giving one to base everything off of. Derek tried to get me to understand Fantasy Football by giving me a story that was relevant to me.
This is exactly what Jesus did.
Jesus taught in parables, meeting his listeners where they were at (in a boat, in a family, at a wedding, in the field sowing, etc.) to invite them into the story and get them out of the self-centered world they lived in so that He might show them that He was indeed the world they needed to live in. He was bigger than the world the had found themselves looking at.
Jesus teaches us in parables still.
He has shown me that when I love selflessly, my worldview is bigger and not focused on only me and my tiny circle of a “personal space bubble”.
He has shown me that when my BFFK gives a granola bar to the same homeless man every week at the same overpass that He always provides and loves unconditionally.
He has shown me that when my former pastor sees me after years of not seeing me and tells me I’m a beautiful young woman that He sees me as His beautiful daughter that He is proud of and loves unconditionally.
He has shown me of His undying affection for me when my BFF Rachel has my back and always supports me in all that I do. I understand that He loves stupidly by accepting the love she shows me.
The stories of my life show me (and God-willing, others) that He is Real, He is Love and He is Relationship. Through the mystery of the Incarnation, God sent Himself to be humanity, to suffer on the Cross and to die and defeat death, inviting everyone into a RELATIONSHIP with a Being who is Real, Love and Relationship itself. He meets me, and you, where we are at by inviting us into a story that is bigger than ourselves to get us out of ourselves. He speaks in the strangest of places and, at the same time, the place where we are in order to Be with us.
Listen to the parable God is speaking to you, the story He is reaching out to you in today. He meets you where you are. He becomes Bread so that you can receive His Body – talk about profound humility. Let God be God and humble himself to meet you in your self-centered world so that He can show that there is so much more.
LastStros.
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