What Do the Olympics, Super Bowl and Nehemiah Have in Common?

2/16/22 What Do the Olympics, Super Bowl and Nehemiah Have in Common?  Glenda Simpkins Hoffman

As a teenager, I was an Olympic junky watching endless hours of television coverage. Because I competed in sports at the time, I was inspired by these elite athletes and their remarkable feats. While each competition lasted a relatively short time on the screen, we heard stories about how some athletes became the kind of person able to compete at this level.   

This year I haven’t been able to watch as much of the Olympics as I used to, but I am enjoying watching some of the highlights. Nathan Chen’s story is truly amazing. He had high hopes for winning a medal in men’s figuring skating at the 2018 Olympics in Korea, but he missed many jumps and fell out of the individual medal contention. He faced a lot of pressure, expectations, and difficult publicity coming into the 2022 Olympics.  

If you have yet to see his short and long programs, they are truly remarkable, well worth watching. He performed his long program to Elton John’s “Rocketman,” a fitting commentary on the “long, long time” of his comeback journey to “burning out his fuse up here alone.” The song and his life speak to his incredible resilience and resolve that led to breaking Olympic scoring records and winning the gold medal.  

If figuring skating is not your thing, then Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams is another great example. Three years ago, he limped off the Super Bowl field with an injured knee, unable to play. But he had a vision of coming back and winning the MVP. And he did. He played the game of his life, and the last minutes and final drive of the game were truly inspiring. As one reporter said, “He capped a record-setting season in fitting fashion. He was resilient. Unflappable. Reliable.”  

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Resolve is the determination to do something, to follow a course of action. Psychologist Angela Duckworth asserts that whether we are parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” She has written an entire book on the subject: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.  

In her studies she discovered, “Those who are highly successful had a ferocious determination that played out in two ways. They were resilient and hardworking. But it wasn’t just their determination that mattered. They also had a deep sense of knowing what they wanted, and this direction gave them a deep resolve in moving forward.” Many athletes demonstrate these qualities of resilience and resolve. So does Nehemiah.  

Nehemiah encounters real resistance over and over again. In chapter 6, the trio of troublemakers (Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab) are back stirring up opposition. Nehemiah demonstrates resilience by resisting these enemies’ attempts to distract him and even thwart his efforts. Instead, Nehemiah remains resolved keeping focused on God and the mission God gives to him. He stays connected to God in prayer and depends on him for wisdom and discernment.  

I don’t know what you are going through. We have been living with the pandemic and transitions in church for years now. On a more personal level, some of us are dealing with injury, illness, the loss of a loved one or the loss of an opportunity, a disappointment or regret for something we had hoped for that will never be. Some are dealing with relational, vocational, or financial challenges.  

Listening to a podcast recently, I heard the speaker say that what he is hearing from a lot of church leaders are the words resilience and resolve. When certain words come to me repeatedly, I pay attention. The pandemic has been hard, the church and the world are changing in ways that are new and challenging to address, but resilience and resolve are the qualities that are needed. It’s important to remember that while so much is changing all around us, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever and his mission remains unchanged. 

Challenges, obstacles, sometimes even difficult people can on occasion seem to bring us down. We are not to be surprised. On the night before his death, our Lord said many words to prepare his disciples and us today for our life and ministry in the world. Among them were these: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Trouble, even persecution, is a part of life in this world.  

On Sunday, Pastor Connie pointed out that Jesus himself experienced challenges, and she drew our attention to Hebrews 12:1-3: “…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.” 

Hebrews draws on an athletic metaphor to help us understand what is needed. While life in this world can be hard, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus who experienced resistance, evil, and suffering of many kinds. We focus on our Lord and trust that he is with us and will help us whatever comes. Perseverance requires resilience and resolve to keep our eyes on Jesus and to remember that we are not alone.  

And like Nehemiah and good athletes, we need to keep focused on the mission. As followers of Jesus, we are called to obey his Great Command, “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength…. And your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). 

In addition, we are called to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

Resilience and resolve, passion and perseverance are needed. These are not qualities that magically happen but must be pursued and developed over time. These qualities helped Nehemiah lead God’s people in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem in 52 days. These qualities helped Nathan Chen win an Olympic gold and Cooper Kupp a Super Bowl ring and MVP award. What has God called you to be and do? Whatever it is, it will take intention and attention to become the kind of person who can thrive with resilience and resolve.  

I was inspired by Nehemiah’s example of building the wall in 52 days. What might God do in and through us in a similar period of time? Lent is a season of 40 days (or 46, counting Sundays) that begins two weeks from today on Ash Wednesday.  

This season will come and go no matter what we do. But I urge each of us to pray and consider how we might arrange our lives with more intention as we give our attention to God and his mission so that we can become the kind of people who live out our faith with resilience and resolve.