With all the
emotion and discussion about today’s politicians, celebrities and professional
athletes, there are some good news stories to share. One happened in an earlier
time, but deserves to be heard again.
At the opening of the April 25, 2003,
NBA playoff game of the Portland Trailblazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, a
talented thirteen year-old girl stepped up to sing at Portland’s Rose Garden.
Although she started well, she suddenly faltered, having forgotten the words.
She stood there a few seconds, embarrassed and unsure what to do, when a large
man in a dark suit came beside her to help.
He placed his hand on her shoulder,
took her microphone and together they sang where she had left off with his
strong and somewhat off-key voice. Others joined them and by the end, twenty
thousand NBA players, officials and audience members had joined together to sing
our country’s National Anthem, amid cheers, smiles and probably a few tears.
Young Natalie Gilbert, winner of a contest
to sing that night, went on to become a successful Broadway singer who has sung
the National Anthem many more times. You can see her moment at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sin9M9boANo. The man who helped her, Maurice Cheeks, was
then Head Coach of the Trailblazers, and is currently Assistant Coach of the OKC
Thunder. He was inducted into NBA Hall of Fame in March, 2018.
This story, known as the “Maurice
Cheeks Moment,” isn’t about pro athletes or embarrassing moments or how to act
during the National Anthem. It’s about care and respect, one person reaching
out to help another in a time of need. It’s about humans being decent to each
other.
Jesus told us, “Whatever you wish that others would do to you,
do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew
7:12) The “Golden Rule” has been around for centuries, and some even say even
before Jesus, but it’s what we really need to observe now. Today’s environment
of bitter distrust, vile rancor and outright hatred shown by too many adults in
public, threatens to push aside honest efforts at helping all of us to get
along better.
Jesus’s
harshest words in the Bible were reserved for those in leadership, prideful,
educated people who should have known better. I wonder what He would say to us
today. For those of us in need, faltering wherever we are, He stands next to
us, His strong hand on our shoulders, forgiving, encouraging and showing us a
better way.
Lord, help us be less bitter and more caring.
Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com
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