Jerseys

I've been working at my current job for going-on-two years now. Last year one of the new teachers and I started wearing our favorite NFL team jersey to work during football season; he would wear his on Friday (kinda saying "good luck" Cowboys) and I would wear mine on Mondays (kinda saying "good job" Vikings). Every day that we wore our jerseys we both caught grief from students, staff, and each other...sometimes, depending on how well our teams did, we would even give ourselves a little bit of guff; however, sure as the sun will rise we would always be wearing our jerseys come Monday and Friday.

A year later, my jersey-wearing coworker has moved on while I have remained here. Every Monday you will find me wearing my tan pants and the good ol' Purple and Yellow. This year, however, is a bit of a strenuous act, wearing the jersey. For those of you who don't follow the NFL let me clue you in on something...the Vikings....uh....we not be doing all that well...as a matter of fact, I can count their wins on the amount of left shoes I wear to work each day. Now every week, come Monday, I get several students, as usual, taunting my team, making fun of the players, and making jokes...and let's be honest, some of their jokes were around when my father was their age, and as usual I put up with some of it, defend some of it, and ignore some it. None of what I have described is any surprise, and unfortunately neither will this next part. Not only will the other fans taunt me, not only will the non-fans make fun of me, but my fellow Vikings fan ridicule me for wearing my jersey! I hear plenty of, "How can you wear that", "That's such an embarrassment", and "If I were you I'd just burn that jersey". I saw them ALL wearing the colors when we had the ONE win this season, as I would hope they would, but no other day.

"Mr. Halvorson, why do you wear that...it's such an embarrassment?"
"Well, let me ask you this, when you are playing ball this season, and you lose games, maybe even more than you win, do you think I will be embarrassed?  Do you think I will ever be sad?  Do you think I will keep the Green and White on my chest and proudly say that I am a Titan?...You better believe it!"
The word "Fan" is short for "Fanatic". A fanatic is: a person with extreme enthusiasm or zeal. Am I really a fan if I turn my back on my team? Do I cause other fans to have hope, take heart, and even be fanatic if I show wavering dedication? What would happen if every time my team did something wrong, every time they failed, every time they lost I took off my jersey in shame?

I got my sense of "fanatics" from my dad. In junior high I was in Track. As I was tall, had the wrong shoes, and was...as most junior high kids are...clumsy and awkward; to put it very nicely I wasn't the greatest member of the team. I did two events in track; weights and hurdles. For some reason hurdles always had this allure to me and since no one else seemed to hear this sweet melody calling them, I felt pretty good about how ever I did. Over two years I went to a lot of meets in various places, my favorite of which was Glasgow, MT…they have a kick-butt school song!  My dad would always ask me how well I did, if I had any fun, and if I learned anything. It was probably plain for my parents to see that I was not going to be a "winning" track competitor; at least I hoped my parents could see that...it was plain to me. Though I did not bring home medals, ribbons, or fig-leafed laurels my parents always asked how I performed, if I learned something and if I had fun..."performing is not the only thing you do....you watch, you see, you listen, and you learn from all around you". My coaches taught me how to perform in events; my parents taught me about support and encouragement. I never felt my parents take off their "jersey of pride" that had my name hand stitched on it.

I'm pretty sure that Jesus Christ isn't all wrapped up in who's going to win the Super Bowl, or how well the Vikings are going to do, or concerned over how many points my hurdle performances would bring to my Junior High team, but I'd like to think he's wearing my "jersey". Every time I say a foul word, make a bad joke, harbor ill feelings for someone...he's there. Though he's probably hurt by my actions he doesn't curse me, say that I'm an embarrassment or "take off my jersey"; he calls to me, he waits for me, he forgives me. Sometimes I wonder how he can forgive me time and time again, and I remember that before I was born Christ paid for the sins of the world by wearing the jerseys of all the sinful things we'd ever do; he wore it while he wore a thorny crown, was crucified on a tree, buried, descended into hell, and when he returned. He “paid” for that jersey and has never taken it off and will never take it off; he is our biggest fan.

My last ever track meet was the only meet I remember my father being at. He usually had something going on at the farm like seeding which prevented him from being able to come; but for some reason he was able to attend my last track meet. I found where my mother and father were sitting in the stands; I was so excited. "Do you very best today Ced, you're dad's here. Don't let him down." I remember saying clear as day. The shot cracked and we took off. We rounded the corner for the last 100 meters of the race, I was in fourth. I knew I needed to be a little higher in this heat to be a final competitor. As I came into the straight away I did something that to this day I don't know why I did...I looked away from the track. I saw my parents cheering for me. I saw my parents smiling at me. I still remember that brief second where it seemed like I only saw and heard my dad and the whole rest of the bleachers were blurry and muted, kinda like how they portray it in movies and on TV; I knew I wasn't going to win, dad knew I wasn't going to win, but dad was my fan, and he was supporting me, cheering me on to do my best, "wearing my jersey", because he loved me.

Let's face it, we're not meant to be perfect, if we were there would be not reason for Jesus. There are going to be times when we make little mistakes and there'll be times when we "bite it big", and guess what...Christ already knows it! Jesus knows all our triumphs and he knows all our failures, those that are done and those yet to be done; his unconditional love for us, in spite of our sins, is the reason he sacrificed himself to die on the cross. Jesus loves us very much; he will always be there to help, to guide, to encourage and to forgive. HE won’t ever take your jersey off....he's your biggest fan...go out and be his.