That is the headline on an article in today's Caller Times newspaper.It is an inspiring story about Faith Christian School in Grapevine, Texas, playing a football game against the Gainesville State School Tornadoes. The Gainesville team is made up of young men who are incarcerated for various reasons. One cannot play on the team unless he is excelling in his classroom work and obeyed everywhere else. He must be a junior or senior. The team constantly changes during a season. Coach Williams said: "Some weeks I might take 25 or 28, sometimes 12 or 13. We went through six quarterbacks this year."
When Faith Christian played the Tornadoes it was different from any game they had played. Folks were encouraged to sit on the Gainesville side which was usually, mostly empty. They were to yell for the team. They formed a "spirit line" of 100 people when the team came on the field! They had a banner for them to run through. There were five-gallon drums being beaten on their side of the field.Faith Christian boys were picking Gainesville players up after each play. They prayed together at the end of the game through smiles and tears! Faith didn't ease up in play for they won 33-14. I think they could not have lost if the score had been 0-60! This all happened because of a coach, Kris Hogan. His response to it all was this: "I hate it that this thing we did is so rare. Everybody views it as such a big deal. Shouldn't that be the normal MO , though?" (I assume MO is mode of operation).
Should not acts of kindness permeate the world through Christians? Are people of the world impressed by how many meetings we attend at church? Are they overwhelmed by our gifts of money? Not really. But they ARE impressed by acts of kindness and love done in the name of Christ. I think Jesus loved telling the story of The Good Samaritan. It was a reflection of what he lived and taught, and expects from us. Faith Christian ended the season at 9-3. They know how to win...on the field and off. Gainesville ended at 0-9. There was one game none of them will ever forget.
