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By John T. Crestwell, Jr.
July 25, 2004
Many of you have heard the
story before… I went over Will & Rhonda Johnson’s house with
Reverend Don and of course we’re supposed to be asking and answering
questions about Davies Church but I’m more fascinated by what he has
shown me in his basement—his very classic Redskins collection along
with other sports memorabilia. There are pictures, videos, sports
cards, jerseys, and all kinds of stuff from many different sporting
events, from way back to the present day. Don and I should have
been there an hour or so, but we were there probably four hours—some
visitation huh? And don’t you know I went over again not long ago
to eat some BBQ and after long, guess where I was? Yep. I was back
in the basement in the “Johnson Museum of Sporting History.” Sharon
was with me this time and asked, “How long will you be?” I said, in
the words of Dr. King, “How long? Not long!” Three hours later—I
managed to go home. Well, obviously you can tell, I like going over
the Johnson’s.
Then, recently, I had a similar experience. My sister and
brother-in-law invited Sharon and I over a few weeks ago for a
cookout, which was wonderful because there’s more free food to
eat—Amen. Anyway, we get there and the grilled food featured GRILLED
STEAKS my sister had marinated for, I don’t know-- two weeks... The
food was great, but the high moment was when my brother-in-law asked
me if I wanted to go watch the 1982 NFC Championship game, played at
RFK Stadium—The Redskins vs. Cowboys, the beginning of the Joe Gibbs
era! Some of you know what I’m talking about. He said he got the DVD
from a friend who is a ‘Skins fanatic. Of course I had to watch the
game. Sharon asked me once again as I headed toward the basement in
a blissful state, “How long will you be, honey?” I said, “How long?
Not long…” (Pause) Three hours and twenty-minutes later I had
watched the pre-game, the game, and post-game. IT WAS GREAT. I had
to hold back the tears more than a few times reminiscing on the good
ole days (smile).
I had to ask myself, “John, what is it about the Redskins and sports
in general that gets you and so many others so riled up full of so
many emotions?” I’m sure some of you are thinking what Sharon has
said to me on a number of occasions, “Yeah, why do you get like
that, John? You must be on the payroll? And if you are, there’s
something you haven’t told me and…by the way, there are a number of
things I need to purchase.” Oh, the sarcasm never ceases (smile).
But just why do some of us get so emotionally engaged?
Then there’s my obsession with watching E-True Hollywood stories or
the show Biography on A&E. I love watching the rise and fall of
celebrities. Or reading about great empires and how they came to
power or about the Sages and great religious figures in our history
that impacted millions. What is it that attracts us to the “drama”?
I think there are several things… First, in some ways we want to
live the lives of others; to see or get a glimpse of lifestyles that
we may never have the chance to experience. This is why reality TV
has become such a big thing today. We get to see the craziest things
on television for free. Second, most of us love a good story. And
what is life but a story? Each of us could write our own books about
the highs and lows of stuff that we’ve experienced. But more than
that, we enjoy watching other stories unfold to compare and contrast
them with our own lives… Some of you are thinking, “What do the
Redskins have to do with that?” Okay, since you asked... With the
Redskins and a team sport like football, over the course of a
season, you learn about the varying personalities of players. You
learn about their positions, each player’s strengths and weaknesses;
the injuries they must battle to overcome. You watch the coach
manage the media or be managed by the media. Then there’s the off
the field scandal the team must deal with.
Don’t forget the thrilling games when your team perseveres in the
face of all kinds of obstacles and finds a way to win; and the
embarrassing defeats you want to forget because you watched your
team give up. And the fanatics like me watch for years and years and
years, there’s a long history, hoping that it will be THE YEAR when
an amazing thing occurs in team sport. A group of individuals bond
into a cohesive unit—A TEAM, which is a beautiful thing to see! It’s
like listening to jazz or classical music when all the instruments
do their separate parts but it all comes together in a beautiful
ensemble or symphony… This is what it’s like when a team comes
together…
If you are listening to my sports ramblings this morning and you
think I am giving a free pitch advising you to watch NFL football
you must have fallen asleep already. There is something greater. It
is what has us shouting, “USA, USA” during the Olympic Trials and
later with the Olympics. Ultimately, the obsession is personal. It
is our personal passion, an outward expression of excitement from an
inward desire to overcome and succeed in life no matter what, no
matter the odds or obstacles! The Sporting events are microcosms
that represent the many pieces or facets of our existence and our
deep desire to put them into some harmonious flow so that we might
experience what some call bliss or the “abundant life.”
Everybody wants, not just live, but to be ALIVE! Dr. King said, “If
a person has not found something he is willing to die for he is not
fit to live.” The deeper message in this thought is that we must
seek to be FULLY ALIVE! So, when some of us watch various sporting
events we are watching all of the dramas, the stuff of life, being
played out before our eyes! When you look at the life of the modern
and ancient sages like Gandhi, or King, or Buddha, or Lao Tzu, or
Muhammad or Jesus, Joseph Priestly or A. Powell Davies, for that
matter, you are looking into the lives of people who were fully
alive. They lived the moments, they accepted the defeats and each of
them never lost hope for tomorrow even to the end. This indeed, is
living! This is passion for life! What is there to live for if we
don’t have passion?
Passion is defined is a strong emotion that has an overpowering or
compelling effect on an individual or individuals. Passion is
intense emotion, drive, or excitement. Passion is a word that, in
and of itself, is ALIVE. It is not a passive or stagnant word but it
is an active and kinetic word! Why should we be passionate? Why
should we seek to get the most out of life?
Sharon and I were discussing this point and we came to the
conclusion that we have to be… You see, we are all so fortunate,
really lucky that we live in the time and place called the 21st
century in America. Here we are able to articulate our faith, eat
all the BBQ we want, go home to air conditioned houses; we live with
managing over abundance as Americans, but the truth is, the majority
of the world lives in abject poverty. As an African American I am
very fortunate to be alive right now. I could have been born 300
years ago or even 100 years ago—born a slave. By the law of
averages, I should have been born into slavery. I should have been
born when it was okay to take me away from my family. You know,
every time I watched Armistad, which was wonderfully produced and
directed by the great Steven Spielberg, I cry ever time I see the
slave ship scene. My tears are not just due to the fact that what
was done was inhumane, we all know that; but also, because in many
ways I am unworthy of the life that I’ve been given. And so “to whom
much is given, much is required.” “With great freedom comes great
responsibility.”
Why are we so lucky to be born after the Dark Ages in Europe or
Spanish Inquisition or Salem Witch Trials when people who thought
like us and who had special gifts were burned at the stake? Why are
we so fortunate to live when there are medicines to fix our aches
and pains and cure diseases that once killed millions? Why are we so
fortunate to have vast technologies at our disposal? I have come to
see how precious my life is. I have come to see that I’m really
unworthy of this life and I am thankful and all I can give back to
the evolutionary process are my talents, my gifts, and my passion
for life! What is it that A. Powell Davies said, “…we are a part of
a very special religion, etc…” Then he says, “What are you doing
with it?” That’s a good question. We are fortunate for the lives we
have. What are we doing with our lives? How are we living? Are we
living mundane existences? Are we ALIVE OR just living? Are we fully
engaged in life or just existing? I’ve told Sharon so many times,
I’d rather have 10-years of LIVING over 40 years of just existing. I
want to have fun, experience blissful moments, live my passion and
make a difference.
What are you passionate about? What keeps you alive? What’s fun for
you? What gives your life meaning and purpose? How are you using
your gifts? What are you/ we giving back to the Universe for such a
happening that we call human life? Dick Hess came up to me a few
weeks ago, full of passion. He said, “John, I’ve finally realized
what I am!” I said, “Great! What are you?” He said, “I’m an
Existentialist!” I said, “Great. What’s that?” (smile). No, I’m
kidding I know a bit about it… Anyhow, it was as if Kennedy said to
me, “Babby, I know what I want to be when I grow up.” He had that
energy and he was full of passion about his discovery. He was alive!
It was as if he had found his calling.
I had a dream when I was 16 years old. In the dream I was leading
people somewhere. It was a very vivid dream where my group had to
fight the evil forces. As you can see, I had a very vivid
imagination. Anyhow, we won the battle. There’s more detail to the
dream, but some weeks later, I shared the dream with my mom and also
with my aunt who was visiting and my aunt said, “Oh my! You are
going to be a preacher.” That was the first time I thought about
being a minister. Over the years, in the Methodist church I grew up
in, I heard preacher after preacher say, “Young man, you’re going to
be a preacher one day.” It stuck in my mind and I began to say,
“Hey, I’m going to be a preacher one day.” I took this belief all
the way through college but it was not until a very personal
experience that I truly realized, “Yes, I really do want to be a
minister.” Of course, if they all knew I would become a Unitarian
Universalist preacher they’d probably never said that. Hello… The
point is, I heard them say that to me but it was not until it was
personal, when I developed the individual passion that I began to
pursue this path. So there are many paths but the path you choose
must be the path YOU choose. It’s not mommas dream or daddy’s dream
or grandma’s dream, or your deceased parents dream. Finding your
bliss, no matter your age, finding your place in the universe, no
matter your stage in life—is a personal journey. As it is said, “A
person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still;”
or better stated, “…to thine own self be true!” Only you know what’s
good for you—only you.
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