I was reminded today after reading Tod Bolsinger’s Blog just how amazing the Tour De France is, and what spiritual principles one can extract from such an event. Tod says:
I have also been completely absorbed in watching Lance Armstrong utterly dominate the Tour De France field. It is frankly the greatest sporting achievement ever. Lance, a cancer survivor, is poised to win the Tour (a 21-day bike race through the Alps, the Pyrennes and the French Countryside where competitors average 100 miles of riding per day) for the SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE TIME. (The previous record before him was five.)
If you haven’t watched any of it yet, by all means try to see some in this final week. (It is being shown on OLN.) This is more amazing than Babe crushing a baseball, Michael dropping three pointers, Tiger at the PGA cruising to a 21 shot lead.
Then yesterday, faithful sidekick, George Hincapie wins his first stage in the tour ever. Teammates like Hincapie are called “domestiques” (the French word for “servant”) and their selflessness is a wonderful example of selfless teamwork. It was a great story.
If I was in charge of the world everybody would get the month of July off every year to do nothing but watch the Tour and then go for a bike ride. And since today is my day off I am going to do just that….
I too am totally in awe of this event, and I am amazed at the selflessness of teammates, and even rivals, as they work together to conquer a mountain. I preached last year on the term domestique, and just how important that concept is in Christianity, and in ministry. Servants. Serving one another. If you haven’t watched the race yet, you definitely need to.
