March 13, 2023 8:00 pm
The handshake spoke volumes. On a March night in 1963, two college basketball players—one Black, one White—defied the hate of segregationists and shook hands, marking the first time in Mississippi State’s history that its all-White men’s team played against an integrated team. To compete in the “Game of Change” against Loyola University Chicago in a national tournament, the Mississippi State squad avoided an injunction to stop them by using decoy players to leave their state. Loyola’s Black players, meantime, had endured racial slurs all season, getting pelted with popcorn and ice, and faced closed doors while traveling.
Yet the young men played. The Loyola Ramblers beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 61–51, and Loyola eventually went on to win the NCAA national championship. But what really won that night? A move from hate toward love. As Jesus taught, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27).
God’s instruction was a life-changing concept. To love our enemies as Christ taught, we must obey His revolutionary mandate to change. As Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). But how does His new way in us defeat the old? With love. Then, in each other, we can finally see Him.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading was written by Patricia Rabin, and she titled it Game of Change. The handshake spoke volumes. On a March night in 1963, two college basketball players, one black, one white, defied the hate of segregationists and shook hands, marking the first time in Mississippi State's history that its all-white men's team played against an integrated team. To compete in the Game of Change against Loyola University Chicago in a national tournament, the Mississippi State squad avoided an injunction to stop them by using decoy players to leave their state. Loyola's black players, meantime, had endured racial slurs all season, getting pelted with popcorn and ice and faced closed doors while traveling. Yet, the young men played. The Loyola Ramblers beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 61 to 51, and Loyola eventually went on to win the NCAA National Championship.
But what really won that night? A move from hate toward love. As Jesus taught, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. God's instruction was a life-changing concept. To love our enemies as Christ taught, we must obey His revolutionary mandate to change. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.
The old has gone, the new is here. But how does His new way in us defeat the old? With love.
Then, in each other, we can finally see Him. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Luke chapter 6, verses 27 through 31. But to you who are listening, I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you. And if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Let's pray. Loving God, help us to see others not as enemies, but as your precious people to love like Jesus does. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Joyce Dinkins and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-03-13 20:34:20 / 2023-03-13 20:35:46 / 1
