When No One Knows Your Name
“He’s been in 25,000 automobile accidents.” That’s what the doctors said when assessing the neurological damage of Mike Webster, the greatest NFL center to ever play the game. Most people don’t even know his name. He died at 50 years old of football related injuries. The center rarely gets any attention, at all. In fact, the entire front line of a football team can play a dozen seasons and still be unknown to most fans. Quarterbacks we know. Tight ends, running backs, even coaches we can name, but ask anyone to name the guys who protected Dan Marino, Brett Farve and now even Peyton Manning, and you’ll just get a blank stare.
Some jobs exist simply to serve someone else, to make another person great. A stagehand in a play who watches backstage as “real players” bow for the third encore.
A week ago I saw a guy dressed in black who’s sole job it was to “invisibly” walk across stage during a dark transition as the video played, and set a small table in place with a bottle of water, for the preacher to come out and speak to the masses. In the economy of God, last is first and the servant is the greatest.
Moments ago I finished up a dinner at church where I sat in the midst of just such a group of “servers. You see, I sit on a stage behind a piano week after week and sing for groups of people, worshipping. But it’s these beautiful souls who may go unnamed and unrecognized had it not been for their names on their badge who bring a living example of the Jesus that I sing about. They are the “centers” and in God’s kingdom they are first.
Jesus said, “Even the Son of Man didn’t come to be served, but to serve.” May we search for ways at every opportunity to be less, that Christ may be more.
FYI, should it ever come up in a conversation during the game on Sunday afternoon, Mel Hein, center for the Giants was actually the first (and only) offensive lineman to ever win the NFL MVP. To all the rest, who know Christ, great will your reward be in heaven. Check out this amazing site called I Am Secondwww.iamsecond.com. You’ll get the point.
There’s no place like HOPE,
Stefan