Four Meet at the Crossroads

Moving into the semi-finals of the Australian Open, one contest is no surprise. Nadal will face Federer. These two players often meet. However, the other semi-final is an eye-catcher for those who like to see different names rise into view. While I am always sorry when Andy Murray does not make it to the finals, I am firmly convinced that the best moments of a tournament are often somewhere other than the final event.

For example, there is another feature to a tennis semi-final which intrigues me. That is the fact that the participants are real people and the crossing of their paths is more than just a simple opportunity to bat a ball at each other and earn a spot in the big moment. Of course, any of the preceding matches is a crossing of paths; however, when the number is reduced to four players the ecology of the moment is more easily managed. Consider

• Two of these men are from Switzerland.
• One of the men has recently gone through physical set backs due to knee problems.
• Another of the men is attempting a come back after a protracted drop from first place in the rankings.
• Two of the men are veterans of Grand Slam finals.
• Two of the men have never been in a final contest and have only seen three semi-final matches between them.
• One is from Spain; two are from Switzerland, one is from the Czech Republic. 
• Two of them are married.
• One of the two has a daughter.
• The other has twin daughters (age 4) and a third child on the way.
• One of them is left handed.
• Among other things...
• One has his own foundation which seeks to help socially disadvantaged children. 
• One has his own foundation for giving poor children a chance.
• One seeks to reach out through the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation

None of that information touches on the roads these men have traveled in terms of successes, crises and other factors which contribute to molding the way they compete and the way they relate to others off court. Nor does the information tell us who have been their coaches, the roles of their parents and siblings, or the goals they have (if any) beyond tennis. 

All of this makes me wonder: what is the crossroads mix in your workplace or on your favorite sport team? What is the crossroad mix in your church? If a nameless summary of personal characteristics were posted on a bulletin board, what would those curious enough to search out who's who discover about you?

It's just a thought...but I believe it's an important one, especially for those of us who trust Christ. After all, it is His Word which underscores repeatedly that our works either attract to or distract from the message of faith we have embraced. In a "Christian" culture which seems to think that worship performance or the "freedom" to party should be the calling cards of the Good News, it might be worthwhile to take a moment to reflect.