Inspire, Summer 2012

Dr. Brown’s Top Picks ■ Book The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears by Mark Batterson An eye-opening book about the power of honest and intentional communication with our Father. Fresh, biblical, and challenging. ■ App Star Walk (available on iTunes) An interactive astronomy guide — my favorite app. Point your iPhone or iPad toward the night sky to identify planets, stars, constellations, and more. ■ Podcast “My Story” by Studio 18 (free on iTunes) “My Story” is a 15-minute program featuring everyday people and their true, life-changing testimonies. People’s stories are always fascinating! ■ Movie John Rabe (2009) A German film that tells the true story of Rabe, who, in 1937, used his Nazi party affiliation to save over 200,000 Chinese civilians from slaughter at the hands of the Japanese army. A Winning Balance by Dr. Bill Brown Someone has said there are three things that universally communicate transcending culture and language: mathematics, music, and sports. While I am not aware of many public mathematics performances, music and sports top the list of spectator events. Without question, sporting events are the most compelling form of diversion worldwide. Athletes are more than competitors on the field of battle; they are entertainers. They are called “players” as if they were a troupe of actors on a stage. But the competition inherent in athletics moves sports from the realm of mere entertainment to produce a fanaticism that rivals religious commitment. There are darker sides to sports on the big stage. Sports struggle with stories about performance enhancing drugs, bounties to seriously injure opposing players, and gambling by players and officials. They remind us that these are not merely games. But the most troubling aspect of sports is the denigration of the athletes as people. Physical performance is more important than character commitment. Balancing performance and character are crucial at the level of athletic competition at universities like Cedarville. There are two competing philosophies that dominate college athletics: Performance is everything; character means little. For many fans, winning trumps any appeal to character. When the head football coach of a top school was fired for having an affair with a graduate student and lying about it to college officials, the Internet lit up with the team’s fans criticizing the decision. “He was hired to win football games, not be a paragon of virtue,” wrote one angry fan. A large portion of the media and fan base are put off by any integration of character, especially of a spiritual nature, into the sports world. I do not need to add any more than what has already been written about Tim Tebow and others who are enthusiastic about their faith. Performance is crucial; character means everything. Playing at a high level with the goal of winning is a given, but not at the expense of an athlete’s spiritual commitments and character. At Cedarville, we are reminded of the value God places on us. Paul tells us that Christians see the world and people through different eyes: “So, from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view” (2 Cor. 5:16). Discipleship of student-athletes is the most important work of the athletic department. It is refreshing to see our student-athletes taking the lead in ministry opportunities and missions initiatives. Celebrating athletic achievements in the context of our Christ-centered priorities has become an integral part of the sports program. “Athletes of Honor” is the formal recognition of student-athletes who had outstanding athletic careers. Initiated in 2008, the Legacy Committee of the athletic department, currently chaired by Dr. Dee Morris, oversees the selection process. Nominees must have graduated from Cedarville and display a continuing commitment to Christ-centered character. To date, nearly 400 graduates have been inducted. We are thankful for the leadership and commitment of the Cedarville University athletic department to constantly ask the question: “What does Christ think of our program?” and then respond in ways that please Him. 44 SUMMER 2012 pres ident ’s perspect i ve