Shouting in the Stands

by

John D. McArthur, Jr.

When I was in high school, the biggest thing the marching band did was perform at halftime during the football games. Today, the Friday night game is just the warm up for the real work of the band: meeting other marching bands on Saturday to compete and see who is the best.

The marching band my girls are involved with travels every Saturday in September and October competing for the right to qualify for the regional championship and go to the state finals. Each week, before critical judges and other competing bands, they perform their 15 minute program. At each show the quality of the field as well as the competition will vary greatly.

As parents, we generally sit as a group and when our kids come out to the field, we become noticeably obnoxious. We throw confetti in the air, we release hot air balloons, we use noisemakers. There is always some kind of banner or sign raised when the kids take the field and we shout out words of encouragement.

I don't know if this boisterous support ever influences the judges. In theory, it shouldn't and it really does not matter. We are noisy not to influence the score but to encourage the kids.

The band gathers on the opposite side of the stadium where they tune up. We begin to roar and the kids hear the noise and look over and see the signs and the confetti and their parents acting like children in their enthusiasm. It doesn't matter if the band wins the trophy or barely squeaks through, they are our children and we are proud of them. No one can tell us they aren't the best and next Saturday, we will be in another stadium cheering and yelling as loud as we can for them.

This is the scene the book of Hebrews is describing. Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (NIV)

As we prepare to take the field in Christian service, as we attempt to throw off the things that hinder us and the sin that harms us, the stadium is filled with those who have already fought the good fight of faith. And they are cheering us on. Screaming words of encouragement. Yelling for us to not give up.

Do you see them? There's Abraham, Moses and David. There's Peter and Paul and John. There's the saints who died in jail, on crosses, or by lions. Maybe you can see your grandparents, or your mother, or father, or friend. They are all there. And right in the middle, yelling the loudest is Jesus. Do you see them?

What an image! All these fans are in the stands not being critical or booing our work. But like we do every Saturday from those cold, wet bleachers at band competitions - the saints are watching their children and they want nothing more than for us to be the best.

In order to compete on Saturdays, the marching band works very hard. In late spring, they get their music and begin working on their program. By the middle of summer, when they spend a week at band camp, they try to have their music memorized and concentrate on marching without running into someone. It is always amazing when we watch them practice, especially before their first competition because they seem to be clueless. They are tentative in the playing and disconnected in their marching. We see potential much not much excitement.

Then it is time for the first competition. The excitement from the bleachers is transferred to the field and suddenly, our un-coordinated children are doing complicated moves and the sound from their instruments are like nothing we ever heard in practice. Maybe our children are just hams who need an audience to play to or maybe they see us in the stands and want to make us proud of them.

Where do we get the strength to live our life by faith? By the great crowd of witnesses that want us to join them at the finish line. Do you see them? Do you hear them? Does the shouting in the stands make a difference to you?