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I’m worried folks. I’m worried that the true spirit of teamwork is being lost. I’m concerned that if we don’t learn to play a part we are going to suffer. I’m concerned because I see these things rising up in me as well.
The people that live in the First World have changed so much since my grandparents’ generation. People are increasingly tending to two extremes. People either do not want to be a part of things or they want to be the star. Now before you see me as a curmudgeon saying “You kids get off my lawn” or “Turn that music down” let me stop you.
I’m sharing my concerns, because even I feel myself drifting between these two extremes. I’m fighting against it. The U.S. is a nation where people still embody rugged individualism, but also see that they can succeed if they try hard enough. I believe the issue is we have lost something. I believe that we truly shine as a nation and a people when we work together in the true spirit of teamwork. Everyone has to learn to play a part and not everyone can be a star.
If you have listened to me on this podcast or others, read my blog or gotten to know me just a little, you know service and helps are my gifting’s. That makes it easy for me to learn to play a part. But it is not always natural. I’m a quiet guy and not a self-starter. My parents encouraged me to play soccer and be in the scouts, as a kid. I enjoyed both. As a kid, I enjoyed both activities in spite of the work involved. Through it all I was being taught that everyone has a place. I was being taught that goal could not be achieved without everyone giving of himself or herself.
It was only later that I realized some things. I realized that in the process of practice and play, I was learning everyone has a part to play. I also realized how, each person can make a difference even if they were not the star.
You see by the time I got to high school I realized, that in the soccer world, I was no star. I was not the fastest, most skilled, or someone who would be playing beyond high school. I enjoyed playing and I loved the teamwork. I enjoyed being a defender. I enjoyed being a part of the team. I even was one of the tri-captains my senior year. I played with all my heart and wanted what was best for the team. My coach, a good Christian man and a good judge of character, wanted everyone to learn to play a part. He taught me that by learning to play a part on a team, I could succeed in life.
I’m not saying that today’s generation is without this concept and teaching that, to quote Mr. Spock “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” But the concepts of being a team, working together for a common goal, and sacrificing for the group effort to succeed are getting lost. I’m not talking about communism or socialism here people. What I’m talking about is people choosing to give of themselves for the common goal. People realizing that they cannot do it on their own and that without others they will fail. That is true teamwork.
This has always been a challenge for people and people here in the U.S. in particular. It is sad to say that it has taken extremes to draw us together, teach us to sacrifice and learn to play a part. The major catalyst through the years has been war.
I must admit I’m a lover of the people of my grandparents’ generation, because of how the events in and around World War II shaped them. Studying them has inspired me to see that battles and wars are not won by a small group of superstars. Everyone learning to play a part wins battles and wars. The Greatest Generation grew up in the Great Depression learning to skimp, save and help out those around them with what they had. The nation and the people did not want to get involved in the war. But once the events of brought the war to our shores things changed. Everyone wanted to help win the war. People from children to senior citizens were taught that success depended on them playing a part. It was not just propaganda. It was the truth.
My time spent studding the Greatest Generation has reminded me that all too often I’m caught up in being the center of my universe. I want to be the star and the standout. So as I get this reality check, I have to remind myself that I need to continue to learn to play a part. That is also why I push back against tendencies of this generation to be the superstar or not to play at all. True teamwork is so important, but it is being lost. I am not always walking out teamwork and I’m not teaching it to those around me.
So I have to ask myself, how do I change? How can I escape the selfish trap of “I’m not going to participate unless I can be the star.” As a person of faith, I go to my relationship with Christ. Christ teaches us many things in the Bible that help us to learn to play a part. In the book of Romans we are taught the following, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them….”(Romans 12:4-6 ESV)
So we all have different gifts and are one body but that can still lead to division. So Christ reminds us of the following in 1st Corinthians, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…” (1 Corinthians 12:18-22 ESV)
So through these sections of scripture, I’m reminded that we each have been given gifts and that those gifts working together help the group to win. We need each other to be healthy. This causes me to take a step back and see where I can serve. Then I can jump in and play my part.
Here’s what I learned
We all need to take steps, each day and in each setting, to learn to play a part. I’ve learned that playing a part means sacrificing myself in big and small ways so that the team succeeds. It also means teaching others, gently and with great love, that life is not a solo sport but requires true teamwork. But most of all I’ve learned that life is so much richer when we all work together in love.
I’m Geoff Gentry, and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
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Fun Fact:
Researchers estimate that there are 37.2 trillion cells in the human body. An article in Smithsonian Magazine says the following; “How did these researchers come up with 37.2 trillion? They actually broke down the number of cells by organs and cell types, going through the literature available to come up with a detailed list of volumes and densities in everything from intestines to knees. So, for example, there are 50 billion fat cells in the average body, and 2 billion heart muscle cells. Adding all those up, they got 37.2 trillion. (This doesn’t include any of the millions of microbes living on you, by the way.)”
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-are-372-trillion-cells-in-your-body-4941473/#sTJVCAWvhRRlBxss.99
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