The New Year may be just one flip of the calendar, but we always look at the symbolism of a new start, new beginnings, new life.
It鈥檚 fitting, then, that the Rose Bowl football game, traditionally held around New Year鈥檚 Day, provides one of my favourite allegories about the walk with Jesus Christ. I first heard it from a motivational speaker at just the right time in my life. Maybe you need to hear it, too.
It鈥檚 the legend of Roy Riegels, defensive captain of the University of California Golden Bears. He was later inducted into the University of California Hall of Fame, despite having the nickname, 鈥淲rong-Way鈥�.
In the first half of the 1929 Rose Bowl game against Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets had the ball. They fumbled. The ball bounced around, and Riegels grabbed it. In the confusion, he spun around and saw nothing but daylight between him and the end zone. He took off and ran, with the crowd screaming and his players shouting at him.
Problem: he was heading for the wrong end zone.
The Georgia Tech players left him alone; Riegels thought his teammates were yelling encouragement. Finally, quarterback Benny Lom grabbed him on the two-yard-line and turned him around, at which point he was buried under a sea of Yellow Jackets.
California tried to punt, but it was blocked, and Georgia Tech scored a two-point safety touch.
At half-time, according to legend, the California dressing room was quiet during the intermission, except for the sound of Riegels鈥� sobbing. Presently, coach Nibs Price came in and announced, 鈥淭he same players who started the first half will start the second half.鈥� The team went back out, but Riegels stayed at his locker.
Price said, 鈥淒idn鈥檛 you hear me, son? The same players who started the first half will start the second half.鈥�
Riegels said, 鈥淐oach, I can鈥檛 do it. I鈥檝e ruined you, I鈥檝e ruined myself, I鈥檝e ruined the University of California. I couldn鈥檛 face that crowd to save my life.鈥�
Price said simply, 鈥淭hat was the first half, and the first half is over. Now, get out there.鈥�
Georgia Tech won the game by a single point, but they all agreed that the toughest, most relentless player on California in the second half Roy Riegels.
When I heard that account, many years ago, I was battling constant reminders of my own screwups, reminders louder and more relentless than 100,000 screaming football fans and a lifelong sobriquet. Hearing it helped me climb up off the mat and move forward in my life.
The Apostle Paul writes, 鈥淭herefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away: behold, all things have become new.鈥�
Think about it: a new creation 鈥� not just a fresh coat of paint or a thin veneer of pseudo-righteousness over our old selves, but a new creation, 鈥渂egotten, not made.鈥�
In other words 鈥�
The first half is over. Get out there for the second half.
Drew Snider is a writer and former broadcaster who pastored for ten years on 91原创's Downtown East Side. He's an occasional guest speaker at churches and writes a blog, T
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, HERE
* This article was published in the print edition of the TImes 91原创 on Saturday, January 5th 2019
Photo of football player by听听辞苍听
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