Sport is as varied as our individual preferences. Attending an all-boys school in the 1970s we had cricket; rugby, football, and athletics both track and field. The school I attended even had its own swimming pool, for a comprehensive establishment that was something special. Sadly I found the whole thing hard work and uninteresting. It was fun to run around and play rugby badly, it fed my aggressive side, but overall I was not interested. Looking back I can see that one of my problems were the rules and patterns of play. You put loads of effort into getting the ball and start running only to find you’re offside because you went past the defence too soon. Worse still, in rugby you get a bruise taking the ball off the opposition only to have to throw it backwards!
So, when I’m reading a book and the team position a character played in a sport is mentioned, I pass it over, but not this last week. Currently I’m reading Under Our Skin by Benjamin Watson with Ken Petersen. If you have an interest or desire for a richer understanding of race issues its worth reading. Watson is an American footballer and communicator. He comes over as a nice guy with thoughtful sensitivity and a passion to see others succeed. On the back cover he is described as playing in the position of Tight End. Immediately I thought why would anyone call a positon in football, American or otherwise, Tight End?
Some brief research gives a range of ways the Tight End is deployed in a game and as in so many sports the rules differ here and there. Here’s the bit that got me thinking: It is the job of the Tight End, along with the Fullback, to open up a hole in the defence for the Tailback to run through. Wow, suddenly I have this image of Benjamin Watson bursting down the field; he’s got to be big enough to knock the hole in the defence and fast enough to chase the ball down. To the average person the guys trying to stop him are impenetrable giants. Some of these guys are over 6’6 tall and weigh over 21 stone – I wouldn’t run at them to make a way though anything.
Let make an observation. In reading through Under Our Skin I am reminded that we need people like Benjamin to break through some of the seemingly unmovable barriers to a better social discourse on race, equality and justice. He does so in an honest personal and sobering way. But he also reminded me in his book of another tight end.
Forgive me if it sounds irreverent but in so many ways Jesus played that very role of Tight End. He came onto team humanity and created a way through the opposition leading us to a better place.
The night before a battle and to a young leader named Joshua, Moses said, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Here is a clip of Benjamin in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZCTzYNBQE
Rob Wykes 