Grace in a High School Gym
William Temple, the greatest Archbishop of Canterbury in the Twentieth Century, once said something to the effect that God is not particularly interested in religion, but rather in the whole of human life. Not all moments of grace are religious or even have a religious setting. That shouldn't come as a surprise if we remember Jesus' comment that not even a sparrow can fall without God knowing it.
In the fall of 1987, my youngest daughter's Cheney High School volleyball team made it to the State AA Tournament as the second seed from their district. Another team from their league, Deer Park, went as the District's number one. Cheney's cheerleaders were following the football team into their playoff game that weekend.
On the first day of the tournament, the Deer Park cheerleaders came over to the Cheney fans and offered to lead cheers during one of our matches when their team wasn't playing. We were delighted and thanked them for their help.
Both teams advanced to the quarterfinals the next day. Again the Deer Park cheerleaders showed up to lead cheers for Cheney in a match when their team was not in action. They came even though Deer Park and Cheney were scheduled to meet in a match later that day.
By two in the afternoon it was showdown time. Cheney and Deer Park met in a game to determine who would go to the semi-finals and who would go home. The match was hard fought, and the Deer Park cheerleaders did their best, exhorting their team and their fans to keep up the spirit and beat Cheney. But in the end Cheney won 15-5, 16-14. We were elated of course, but there were tears on the Deer Park bench. Their team, cheerleaders and fans had come so far, had hopes and dreams as all young athletes do, and now it was all over. Having been in a similar situation with two sons whose high school athletic careers ended with post season games lost, I knew only too well how those girls and their supporters were feeling.
Nevertheless, we had won, and later in the afternoon, Cheney won its semi-final match, so at eight o'clock that evening our girls would battle for the state championship. Of course, we parents and fans were ecstatic. We grabbed some fast food and were back in plenty of time for the game.
As the two teams were warming up before the match, the three Deer Park cheerleaders, still in their blue and gold uniforms, came to our Cheney cheering section and began to lead us in cheers. Only hours before we had ended their season and their chance to win a trophy at the tournament. Now these girls had put their disappointment and crushed hopes behind them and come to help our team achieve what we had denied them. And all around the Cheney folks in the school colors of red and black, people in blue and gold began to appear. In an act of grace and true sportsmanship, the Deer Park fans, coaches and team had come to support us. Cheney's team rose to the occasion and, playing the finest they had all season, won the championship match in two games.
It was just a high school sports event, not very important in the great scheme of things, I suppose, except for one thing. The Deer Park cheerleaders exemplified exactly the spirit of sportsmanship and grace in adversity that we all hope our young people will learn as they grow up. What they did was not an easy thing, but it was the right thing, and that needs to be celebrated and remembered.
In our album of that tournament, the photo I like best is the one of the Cheney team in black and white uniforms, grins as wide as the Columbia River, holding the state championship trophy, and right beside them smiling also in victory, in blue and gold, are the Deer Park cheerleaders.