Soccer, Rabbis, Driscoll, and Learning To See Bigger

Recently, Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber and United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) coach Jürgen Klinsmann have been at odds.  Some key US players, including Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley, transferred from big European teams (Tottenham and Roma, respectively) to MLS teams.  Klinsmann pushes his players to play at the highest levels of competition to raise their games; in soccer, that means playing in Europe.  Even the most loyal MLS fan must admit coming back to the MLS to play is a large step down in competition.  Klinsmann recently commented that Bradley needs to prove his game will not take a step back in the MLS.  Garber took offense to this comment.  In his thinking, a stronger MLS means a stronger USMNT.  In Klinsmann’s view, a transcendent US player, one who can play at the highest levels of European competition, will encourage more US soccer players, and therefore help the MLS.

So who is right?  Well, honestly, both.  And neither.  A stronger MLS, in the long term, will encourage more young, talented athletes to play soccer, thus helping the USMNT.  But a transcendent US talent will also encourage a stronger MLS.  So, both are right.  But by insisting that their way is the only way, both are wrong.

Last week, I debated whether I would blog about Mark Driscoll.  After all, I am relatively new to blogging; I only adopted to try to support the Refresh blogging initiative.  It is a topic that was certain to offend people.  At the same time, before Driscoll was recently in the news, I noticed this trend about how we, as Christians, treat those we disagree with.  It is a trend that, quite frankly, disgusts me.  We treat fellow Christians with different theologies as the enemy, and we use any weapon in our arsenal to tear them down.  I blogged about this topic.  And, there is no way to say this humbly, but I still believe I am right.

At the same time, I received several responses from trusted friends and colleagues (hey, people actually read this?).  Many of them expressed different viewpoints.  They shared how Driscoll’s actions offended and hurt them, or offended and hurt others they cared about.  They shared how my post, while not intending in any way to be a defense of Driscoll, too easily dismissed the pain he has caused.  And, quite frankly, they were right.  For this I apologize.  You were right, I was right.  And in writing like I was the only one who was right, I was wrong.

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield wrote a book entitled, You Don’t Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right.  One of my professors assigned the book to us my first semester in seminary.  While I read it with all the enthusiasm typically reserved for students reading assigned texts, I am amazed at how the concepts driving that book become even more relevant as the years go by.  We can disagree, and both be right.  We may be speaking from different perspectives.  We may be simplifying a complex idea or concept.  Another perspective or opinion does not make my opinion any less valid, or “right.”

I find many of us, as we learn and grow in our Christian faith, approach faith as if our interpretations and experiences are the only possible and valid perspective.  We are right, and no one else is.  We ignore that the scripture that we are “right” on may speak to us differently at different times.  We ignore that the gospel message has proven true in countless cultures over 2,000 years.  We ignore that God is infinite, and our own understanding is definitely finite.  We assume that what we think and feel now is the sole and only truth, and if our perspectives may change, well, then that is the now the sole and only truth.

But you don’t have to be wrong for me to be right.  As I learn and grow more, as a student, pastor, theologian, etc., I learn how big the faith is.  How a great many perspectives provide insight.  How the faith is a complex topic, and I have so much more to learn.

This is not a pass for relativity.  I am not saying that every opinion or perspective is valid.  There are certainly ones I disagree with and stand against.  But this is a mea culpa.  Last week (and for most of my life), I have approached topics as if my perspective was the only right one.  For that, I beg your forgiveness.  May I learn from you, and may I gain a better perspective on the amazing grace of God in the process.