Quick Read 1: Who Do You Play For?

One of my favorite moments from any movie comes from Disney's "Miracle," the movie about the US men's hockey team. 

Now, I do love sports, but I really don't like hockey, so there must be something else to this movie. There is. 

In my favorite scene, the coach is having all the players skate a whole bunch as punishment (it looked hard, but I'm from Texas and we don't ice skate so I don't know). Anyway, the reason the coach was punishing them was for failing to play together. 

See, the members of the U.S. hockey team were the best players from the best colleges, so there were some natural rivalries. Coach would ask his players, "What's your name, and who do you play for?" Time after time, the player would answer with their name and "Boston College" or "Minnesota" and immediately be punished by the coach. 

The best moment happens as one player figures it out and says, "Mike Eruzione. I play for the United States of America!" 

That's what it was all about. The coach just wanted them to play as a team, but first they had to realize what team they were on! Sometimes we struggle with this, there are different churches and schools we attend or club teams we play for, but is that the REAL team we're on? 

Nope. We're hand picked by Jesus Christ to come and play for God's team. He wants YOU to play for Him, and work together with other Christians. That can't happen if we hang on to our differences and fail to recognize the end goal: spreading God's word and His love. 

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."

(Romans 15:5-7 ESV)