"B" Team All-Stars!

I am not a competitive person. I would rather win than lose of course, but if winning is not in the cards you will not see me getting angry, frustrated or disappointed at my teammates. I am not someone who is motivated by others screaming demeaning words at me, which seems to be a prerequisite of an athlete. I usually avoid game night, as to not be a privy to the dark side of my friends creeping out in the heat of an oh so important game of Catch Phrase. As a young person, my pattern was one of going out for sports, and quitting at the first sign of my coach taking it way to seriously in my eyes. I remember, in 6th or 7th grade, deciding to try out football. My parents paid the fees to the league, bought me all the pads, jerseys and shoes, and sent me off to the first practice. Soon after, the coach started taking it to seriously. I don’t remember what the coach was yelling at me about. Maybe I wasn’t running fast enough, or wasn’t picking up on a play. Whatever it was, I did not think it negated yelling. So, I took of my helmet, turned to the coach and said, “I don’t need this,” and never played organized football again.


During my 8th grade year, I had a different experience with competitive sports. I decided to give it a shot again, and went out for basketball. I made the “B” team. A normal kid may have been upset about being on the “B” team, but I actually thought it may be the perfect place for me. Maybe, since it was the “B” team, people wouldn’t be so crazy competitive. To my delight, this was the case. The coach was a bit of a “B” teamer himself. He was a shorter guy who had a limp from an injury as a child, and a wandering lazy eye. He had a compassionate disposition, and embraced the idea of having a team that was just there to have fun, even if they were horrible at basketball. He related with us on a level we did not really understand, but looking back, the image of his support of the “B” team is something I will never forget. We even had a chant, and throughout our games, whether we were winning or losing, losing being the more likely course, we would chant, “ ‘B’ Team All-Stars.” Everyone on the “B” team was an all-star. We would chant even louder when one of us got to play in an “A” team game because of injury or complete blow out scores. Our fellow “B” teamer would touch the court with his sneakers, and the chant would go on until he sat back on the bench. We were proud to be on the “B” team. We played because of a love for playing, not because we really cared if we won or not. We played because our coach lets us have fun, and not worry about some record that would disappear at the end of the season. We played out of love for the game, and felt the love of our coach and each other.

I am calling for a paradigm shift in our thinking of what it means to be successful in this life to one of a “B” team attitude. I propose that we can make this shift in three extremely hard steps. I know, you wanted them to be easy, but to grow nothing can be easy.

1. Level the playing field, and realize that everyone is a part of the “B” team. Some are just too proud, and unwilling to admit it.

2. Accept your offer to be on the “B” team, and be excited about the games that are ahead.

3. Love your “‘B’ Team All Star” coach and teammates.

The first step in the journey is leveling the playing field. We have to realize that no matter what the world tells us, we are all a part of the same team. We all come from the same mold, and return to the same maker for judgment of our lives. We all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, placing us securely on the roster of the “B” Team. This goes against what the world tells us. The world places some people on the “A” team because of wealth, fame or power. People place themselves on the “A” team out of pride, prejudice and hatred for others. Others place themselves closer to God because of education, illusion and false teachings. However, Jesus warns us that, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” He goes on to say that, “many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:25,31)

If God had a special place for the people who the world claims to be on the “A” Team, those would have been the people He chose to be the disciples of His Son. On the contrary, he picked what the world had cast off as the “B” Team to be the megaphones of His love on earth. Disciples were followers of a rabbi. They strived to mimic their rabbi’s whole way of life. Discipleships of rabbi’s were held for the Jewish boys who had outperformed all the others in school, and proven to be the best of the best, the “A” team, of the Jewish culture. Jesus could have pulled from this pool of individuals, but instead he went to the laborers, the nobodies, and the people who the Jewish culture would have gawked at if they were to ask to be a disciple of a rabbi. Jesus called out to the “B” Team, and they were asked to affect the course of history forever. He took the power out of the hands that society had chosen to lead, and leveled the playing field for every Jew or Gentile to be a part of His Kingdom. It is time to do the same in our society.

Next, we must accept the offer to join the “B” team. It seems like a simple choice when we think about the benefits, but it is so counter-cultural that our mind is outraged at the thought. In our society, we are hard wired to want to be on top, to be the winner, to be the supervisor, manager or boss. We teach our kids to be educated so they can rise to the top of the organizational ladder and receive the American dream of wealth and prosperity. We playfully talk about the dog-eat-dog world in which we live. Success comes by taming the bulls and bears or surviving the shark tank. We are inundated with this idea that it is okay to destroy others in our wake if we are headed to the top of our organizational hierarchy.

It reminds me of the word “ain’t.” In elementary school, when someone would use that word we would say, “Ain’t ain’t a word cus it ain’t in the dictionary so I ain’t gonna use it.” Well, people used the word so much that the wonderful folks at Merriam-Webster decided to add it to the dictionary and ruined the fun for millions of elementary kids. The purpose behind that story is to remind you that just because someone, or some society, has been saying something is right for so long that it becomes a societal norm does not mean it is right. I mean, check out Sodom and Gomorrah. Now don’t twist my words and think that I am saying capitalism is the same as sodomy, because that is not what I am saying. However, the way in which free market capitalism has manifested itself in our society does not represent the model of leadership that Jesus taught, and the model that is required to be an active part of the “B” team.

Jesus called us to be servant leaders. He called us to consistently put others needs before our own, and lower ourselves to complete humility. Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” What it does not say is, “find out what you can get from others, and take advantage of them to improve you own position.” In fact Jesus gave a very clear example of His method of leadership hours before his death as He was anxiously trying to share His final lessons with his disciples. John 13:2-15 says:

“The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.


He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"


Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."


"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."


Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."


"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"


Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.


When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

How counter-cultural is that scene. Jesus is in full understanding that He has the power to do absolutely anything He wants. What would our capitalistic society tell us to do with that power? Would it tell us to ignore the possibilities of wealth and fame, and lower ourselves to the job of a servant? Not a chance. However, what would happen if we all began to realize that power is nothing without faith in God; That our excess wealth when we die will be like the excess manna that some Israelites hoarded in the dessert, full of maggots and wreaking of a horrible stench, but the good deeds we do for our sisters and brothers will be treasures waiting for us in heaven.

So, are you willing to join the “B” team? Are you ready to stop worshiping money, competition, and success, and start worship the God who has freed you from the slavery of that brokenness? If so, there is one command. Love God and love your teammates! Isn’t it crazy how it always comes back to love? Well maybe it seems redundant, but if I had to narrow the entire Bible down to one word it would be love. So, for me, the point cannot be made enough.

Who are your teammates? Mankind (See my previous post :-) )

Not everyone has accepted the offer to join the team, but whether they want to admit it or not they are already on the roster. No one is out of reach of God, and if you believe any different you do not believe in my God. No one can run too far for Him to reach out His hand. No one can deny Him enough for Him to stop asking for them to believe. No one can earn His love and no one can lose His love. A relationship with Him means a denial of the world. Jesus said that we are not of the world just as He is not of the world. We are in great danger when we begin to have faith in the systems of this world, and lose sight of the example God gave us through His Son.

So, here is your offer to join the “B” team. It is always your choice, but there is only one right decision.

“‘B’ Team All-Stars!”