The Citizen, 1987-01-21, Page 19From the Minister's Study THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987. PAGE 19.
'Win at all costs' mentality hurts society
BYREV.DOUGZEHR
BRUSSELS MENNONITE
FELLOWSHIP
As a hockey fan, a real armchair
enthusiast, I must admit that I was
sucked into believing that the
‘Hockey Wars’ at the World Junior
Hockey Championships were a
‘red’ plot to destroy the hopes and
chances of a ‘free’ team who had a
reasonable chance at a medal.
Sincethattime I’ve had a chance
to sit back and evaluate a little bit.
The January 14 editorial of The
Citizen hit the nail on the head for
me. Our paranoia in North America
tends not to be very rational. The
truth of the matter is that we have
allowed ourselves to be brain
washed into thinking that the
whole of the Soviet population is
robotic and that they are computer
ized by a government strategy.
Young people are young people.
Competitive sport is competitive
sport. Hockeyisagreatgameof
emotion. Our more mature Cana
dian hockey players haven’t really
given us a much better image to
liveupto. And that is where the
problem comes in. If it was a plot,
the Russians knew it would work
because that was the kind of
reputation that Canadian hockey
has. Don’t tell me, Don Cherry,
that 19 Russian hockey players
would have beaten up five Cana-
dianplayersonlivetelevision. I
just don’t believe it would have
happened.
I know well, that common sense
in a moment of emotion is not
always possible. But we had
everything... a gold medal, hockey
supremacy, clean image ... every
thing togain and nothing to lose
except the tarnished reputation
that we have received. Are we
mature enough to recognize that
we blew it? I don’t blame the
hockey players ... it’s our fault as
much as theirs. I’m still hooked
emotionally, like they were, and
perhaps they did the only thing we
would allow or expect them to do.
And that is part of our problem.
Our mentality is that one must win
at all costs and of course make a lot
of money while you ’re doing it. Our
success-oriented and pressure-fill
ed society just will not settle for
less. Wealwayshave tobeouttobe
number one.
In the days of the early church,
Christians had to make a living
even as you and I. Some of them
carved and gilded images for the
pagans. They did not worship
theseimages, ofcourse, nor did
they bow in their shrines, but they
saw no problem in making and
polishing imagesfor sale. Their
argument sounds familiar today:
“After all, somebody will do it, and
anyway, I have to live.” Tertullian,
one of the giants of that day,
answered such an argument with
one question: “Must you live?”
Tertullian held that a Christian
hasonly one ‘must’ - he or she must
be faithful to Jesus Christ, come
what may, live or die. There were
no ifs, reservations or alibis. One
did not have to live; he had only to
be true to the Master. “We ought
to obey God rather than man.”
The early Christians died rather
than compromise. They had but
one Lord and they loved Him more
than life itself. They did not count
their lives dear unto themselves.
They didn’t have to live; they only
had to be faithful. Tertullian would
have a rough time getting that
across to the average Canadian
Christian. In the late 20th century,
the all-important thing is to live my
way at my cost. What would it take
to allow individuals, like hockey
players, to choose another way?
Well, in Canadian hockey, 1 guess
it means you just won’t make it.
The whole hockey drama of this
past month brings me to think of
the larger mentality that we have
regarding our nationalistic feel
ings, our drive for success or our
win-at-all-cost philosphy. There is
not much sympathy for second
best, not a whole lot of appreciation
for giving one’s best effort if it
wasn’t good enough.
And so we compromise. We do
what everybody else does because
it’s popular or acceptable. It is truly
amazing that in our modern
individualistic society so manv of
Blyth United
Church news
Rev. Ken Bauman spoke about
calling of some of Jesus’ desciples
on Sunday morning at Blyth United
Church.
The choir sang “Let us magnify
the Lord.” The Junior congrega
tion were led by Marlene Toll.
The Wilson’s and Stadelmann’s
were the ushers with Mr. and Mrs.
J. Blake as greeters. Flowers were
in memory of Mrs. Plunkett.
us bow to the pressure of our peers.
If you are Christian, though, you
donot have to live; you have only to
be faithful to Jesus Christ, not only
until death, but unto death, if
necessary. When you become a
Christian, you lose the right to your
own life. You are not your own ...
you are bought with a price. You
are the personal property of Jesus
Christ. That is to be set free from
the peer pressure of our society, to
be free to encourage non-competi
tive sports, clean fun, recognition
of any achievement according to
ability and the joy of finishing
second-best, but knowing you gave
it your best shot.
T<4cW$ art ndt plaixttiiwjs.. . hap
CW/en off acdawcy Trom -fa/m
machine^
Business
Directory
AUTO & FARM
REPAIR
OWNER: CREG DUCK
•Welding ?T7-?T7?•CarOiling Ot) t OiJ ( £
•Licenced Mechanic
•Safety Inspections WiyiUVK
Blue building on Hwy. 4
north of Belgrave
•Small Engine Repairs
•Licenced body repair & painting
•Highway Tractor Repairs
Advertising
helps
good things
happen.
CANADIAN ADVERTISING
FOUNDATION
Hopper
Welding &
Repair
REPAIRSTOFARM
EQUIPMENT AND
AUTOMOBILES
Wayne Hopper
Belgrave
887-6142
GENERAL
ELLIOTT INSURANCE BROKERS LTD.
INSURANCE IN ALL BRANCHES
Established 1910
BL\ TH. ONTARIO N0M 1H0 519-523-44B1
LIVESTOCK MORTALITY INSURANCE
Phil’s Refrigeration
and
Appliance Services
Dependable service
to all makes and models
of major
domestic appliances.
Wingham 887-9062
LIFE
R. John Elliott
519-523-4323
Blyth
Construction
Home Renovations &
General Contractors
Gord
Jenkins
523-9372
Dwight
Chalmers
523-4354
B&G
ELECTRIC
Plumbing and Heating
Brussels, Ont.
N0G1H0
BILL AITCHISON
887-6747
Howard Bernard
Fuels
Agent-Petro-Canada
Brussels
Heating Oils
A utomatic Delivery
Farm Fuels
Motor Oils & Greases
887-6377
ONLY
Bf A Bf l> CROSS Bl ()()() DONOR
MINUTES
OF YOUR LIFE...
...Rf/U 4
LIFETIME
Fred Lawrence
Electric Ltd.
Home. Farm.
Commercial Wiring
Auburn. Ont.
DON
DUNBAR
526-7505
PAUL
COOK
357-1537
Informative
advertising
helps lower
the price
of goods.
McKILLOP
MUTUAL
INSURANCE
COMPANY
91 Main St. South, Seaforth
Office 527-0400
FARM,HOME,
COMMERCIAL
AUTOCOVERAGES
Thompson’s
Meat Market
Brussels
Fresh Meat
Freezer Orders
Custom Butchering
by appointment
Call Brussels 887-6294
mart
Don Pietsch
Owner/Manager
FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL
NEEDS44 Ontario St., Clinton
—PHONE—
482-7771
Expert Interior &
Exterior Decorating
Wallcoverings
Benjamin Moore Paints
Window Shades
STOP
Hildebrand
ft Paint & Paper
'| Phone 527-1880
15MainSt, Seaforth
-------------AGENTS-------------
E. F. “Bill” Durst 527-1455
Bob McNaughton 527-1571
Graeme Craig 887-9381
Banter & MacEwan
Insurance
Brokers Ltd. 524-8376
John Wise Insurance
[Brokers Ltd. 482-3401
BRUSSELS
AND AREA
HUNT AND PELLA
WINDOWS & DOORS
HOMERENOVATIONS
AND
GENERALBUILDING
CONTRACTORS
H. TEN PAS
CONSTRUCTION LTD.
30 years serving the area
PREGNANT?
and need help
519-357-1066 WINGHAM
1 -800-328-5683TOLL FREE