I was at my son’s baseball practice over the weekend, which in the winter is at a sprawling indoor facility, where many other teams are practicing at the same time. I was just watching, and then I noticed something with another team of older teenage boys – on the backs of their practice shirts was the phrase WE > me.
I thought to myself, that’s great! I love that phrase! I’ve seen window stickers that said HE > I, which is certainly very true. But I had never seen the phrase WE > me. And of course, the meaning in this scenario with the baseball team is that the team is greater than the individual.
But I got to thinking. This is so much bigger than baseball. This is life itself, and it is the crux of today’s readings. Each one wanted to be the greatest disciple. James and John’s mother, wanted her sons to be the greatest.
I see this all the time in baseball, especially travel baseball, but in other sports and activities our kids are in. Parents want their sons and daughters to be the greatest. The best hitter, the one to be at the plate when the game is on the line. Or to be the starting pitcher in the big game. As a parent, it is hard not to get caught up in all that, and way too often parents lobby the coaches for the greatness of their kids. It was the same thing 2000 years ago in a different way.
But the thing is, if we don’t put others before ourselves, if we don’t put the team before our self, if we don’t put the livelihoods of our co-workers and companies we work for before ourselves, and if we don’t put our families before ourselves, then we will never experience true greatness.
And I’m not talking about greatness in terms of material recognition and fortune and reward. I’m talking about the greatness of putting God’s creation – human beings – before our very self simply for the love of life, and of God Himself.
That to me is true greatness, that in placing our own desires behind the needs and goodwill of others, that we in fact are doing God’s will, His work, here on Earth.
WE > me. That’s basically what Jesus was telling His disciples today.
Whoever wishes to be great among you, shall be your servant.
Whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be your slave.
You do the dirty jobs… You help a teammate get better through extra practice and extra encouragement. You help the coach pick up balls and equipment and take care of the facility.
You spend some extra time doing extra work so the project can be done on time. You mentor the junior staffer on your team because they need wisdom and guidance. You do the job that no one wants to do, because it needs to get done.
You help clean the house, and do the laundry, and clean the toilets and everything else in between. You help with homework… Why? Because well, that’s what families do for each other.
You hold open the door for someone at the store, you smile, you strike up a conversation with the cashier, even if you don’t feel like talking. You let the car merge in front of you.
Why? Because we’re all in this crazy thing called life together. We’re all striving to get to a better place someday, and the only way to get there is to put your wants and desires last, behind those of others in your life and who you encounter, to show a little bit of love.
You do all of this for the good of the team, those people around you.
You do all of this for God. Once again, it is basic math. HE > I. And WE > me.
