Back to Basics

Though Sports Illustrated arrives every seven days, many weeks allow only time for picture-gawking. But all 6’-8” of Lebron James glaring on the current SI cover demanded my attention – even before reading his cry, “I lost touch with who I was as a basketball player and a person.”

Because this quote connects with the dilemma of so many people, I absorbed every word of “Meet the rejuvenated, revitalized Lebron” – the first pick in the NBA’s 2003 first round, and still recognized as one of the best.

Lebron admits, “I got caught up in everything that was going on around me, and I felt like I had to prove something to people, and I don’t know why.” Though living his dream, he was dying inside. From a book, “The Ant and the Elephant,” Lebron identified himself as the biggest, baddest elephant, but scared of a mouse. He realized, “It was time for me to get back to the fundamentals.”

What a discovery – back to basics.

In 30 AD, the biggest, baddest elephant – the Roman emperor - had devoured every nation along or near the Mediterranean Sea, and had set up junior elephants to manage his sprawling domain. But a mouse appeared that shook the government guys and the religious rulers to the core. You know the story. They killed the mouse.

But they couldn’t quench the fire that Jesus ignited, that spread throughout the inhabited world. He introduced all nations to the basics – rejuvenating, revitalizing fundamentals of life. Love God. Love others. Everything else that is lasting is built on these.

But like most battles – political, religious or athletic - defeat begins inside, losing touch with who we are as a person and our relationship with God. Like Lebron, we cave inside before we are outwardly conquered.  Knowing our human weaknesses, God provided a way out of sin. But, beyond our forgiveness of sin God provided a constant reminder of what made forgiveness possible – the Lord’s Supper. It’s one of the basics. A personal time, a healing time, a victorious time with Jesus – with the bread and cup.