The other night the movie Glory Road came on, and our Russian exchange student Lex and I watched it. It is a movie about a West Texas basketball team that won the national title, but also explores the state of race relations in the 1960’s. Glory Road" was inspired by a true story of Texas Western's Coach Don Haskins, who led the first all-black starting lineup team to the 1966 NCAA national basketball championship title. Coach Haskins goes to Northern cities to recruit talented black players from the streets to play for his team. Coach Haskins doesn't see color when he evaluates the skill of all of his players and chooses who plays in the game. With courage and determination, Coach Haskins changed basketball history, when his underdog team beats the powerhouse Kentucky. During the course of the movie there are points of discomfort as the ugly side of white American prejudice against blacks is shown.
I found it uncomfortable to explain to Lex what was going on. I explained that it was a different time. For those not living during this period it is difficult to understand, or even comprehend, but it was reality in America. For me as a Pastor, there is something that must often be done that is never pleasant. To face sin for what it is. Racism is a sin. It is a personal sin and it is a corporate sin, and until we face our sin we live in denial. The evidence of this being a sin to me rang true as I tried to explain to Lex what was going on.
During one part of the film the coach was able to push one of the players well beyond what seemed reasonable. The young man took it because he had no other options. As I explained to Lex, if this young man wanted a college education this was his only way. For a black man in the 1950-1960’s options on going to college were seriously limited. For this young man Coach Haskins offered his only option. So it became a real gut check for him. Together these men traveled a road filled with obstacles and self-discovery and ended up finding character. For me character is being able to stand in the fray and still do what is right, especially when it is unpopular.
Coming up soon the Men’s ministry will be showing the movie “Remember the Titans”. It is a great film laced with the same struggle—the struggle against social injustice and the struggle against our own demons. Christ died and was resurrected to set us free from sin and death. Consider these words from Galatians 3: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
In our state of grace we must remember that taking a stand in a fallen world will cost us personally. So where do we find encouragement to “do the right thing?” We gain courage by being in bible studies together. Like the sport teams, they learned courage by working together. If you long for such fellowship, come and join one of our men’s groups. Gain encouragement and wisdom as we learn to stand firm living in a fallen world. So one day we can hear “well done my good and faithful servant.”
