Last year I wrote a blog post about prodigals when LeBron James announced that he was coming back to Cleveland. Essentially, I reminded everyone that in the story of the prodigal son, he returns to his father broken and destitute. LeBron came back with an NBA title and more money than most of us will ever see. I think that we forget that the story of the prodigal son is not about the son's return, but about the Father's extravagant love and forgiveness.
“LeBron isn’t a prodigal son, I am. And, I’m thankful both of us came home. ”
Here we are stepping into the NBA Finals, and it feels like the city is united like we haven't been in a long time. Nike ran this commercial, and it pretty much sums up how we all feel here in Cleveland. I'll confess that I welled up when I first saw this commercial.
I'm not a big sports fan. I love watching a game with friends, but I'm not the guy who keeps up with teams. For me, Cleveland in the Finals gives me hope for this city. There is a deep sense of hope, that things are possible again, that the city is making a comeback.
I like feeling hope. We need it, and there is some real meaning in a city rallying behind a team. It has become about more than a game; it's about a city hoping together again.
It reminds me that hope comes before restoration, that making old things new has a lot more to do with relationship than with material things. The city has come together for something. There is a sense that we are all in this together. Local rivalries are overshadowed by hope.
Hope is powerful.
But, NBA finals are temporary. They make a mark. They inspire a city, but they are gone next year. Players get old, get hurt, or leave. People move on. Hope wavers with the winds of change. Not long ago, we were burning "23" jerseys. Today, all of Northeast Ohio is draped in wine and gold.
So, I'm taking this opportunity to remind everyone that eventually this particular feeling of hope will pass away. I'm not talking it down. I'm buzzing just like everyone else.
Instead, I'm reminding everyone that there is a hope that does not disappoint. Forgive the spiritual application, but the reality is that hope that is from God never ends.
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
NBA titles give energy to cities. There is no question they effect economies and moods from stadiums to living rooms, but Jesus is making all things new. So, tonight let's hope for a big win. But, when this series is over, Jesus will still be King, and He'll still be making all things new.
“ And he who was seated on the throne (Jesus) said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”
Hope boldly.
