For some reason, my mind has lately been wandering towards my insignificance. Our insignificance, to put a finer point on it. After two worship services outdoors in two days, I couldn’t help but think about how truly tiny we are. This is on a cosmic scale, you matter to me. But if I don’t matter, then what does it matter that you matter to me?
This is not something that I’ve just now discovered about myself. I’ve known I haven’t mattered for a while now. And I love that! Because it makes it that much more remarkable that I matter not only to the people I care about, but to a God who by all rights should be distracted by *gestures vaguely at the whole universe*.
The fact that we are so relatively insignificant means that we have that much more space to try to figure out what matters to us and how we can make a difference in our tiny sphere of influence.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot during the Olympics this year. I’ve been captivated by some of the sports that I have no interest in at any other point of my life. I’m talking about rugby, I’m talking about 3x3 Basketball, Skateboarding, Break Dancing. These are people who are, almost quantifiably, the best in the entire world at their chosen sport. We know about the folks who play in the “big” sports. I know who Lebron James is. I know Simone Biles.
What about everyone else? What about Ovidiu Ionescu, half of the Romanian mixed doubles Table Tennis team? If he wins a medal, it counts just as much as when Katie Ledecky does.
And that’s something I love about the Olympics. It creates this level of parity among some of the most elite athletes in the world. It means that Kevin Durant’s contribution is just as important as Sport Climber Colin Duffy’s. It creates a world in which these people occupy the highest responsibility of representing their nation on the world stage. By the end of August, these triumphs and accolades will no longer occupy our attention and these athletes will go back home to either a life of fame and fortune, or a life working at a grocery store. They will go back to the lives that they have lived. For someone like Rafael Nadal, that means going to a life where they are constantly lauded for being significant. But we know. We know that Rafael Nadal matters just as much as Jagger Eaton (skateboarder). We know this because none of us really matter in the grand scheme of things. We know this because we matter so much to God and those in our lives. The Olympics give us a chance to say, “What if everyone’s contribution mattered? What if no one is insignificant? What if we created a world where people can be valued equally, not just because of some sort of arbitrary system of merit?”
If you want to see how significant a person can be, don’t look towards the superstars. Look instead at the reactions of the US Women’s Rugby team when Alex Sedrick pulled a last-minute upset to win the bronze medal for the first time in American history.
Peace,
Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline
Join us in reflecting on these thoughts and share your own experiences of finding meaning in our seemingly small lives. Whether you're new in your faith journey and looking for others to connect with in the community, or you're a seasoned believer seeking deeper engagement and growth, our church offers a welcoming space for everyone. To learn more about Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, contact our office or visit us to chat! We're located at 1200 S. Winton Road in Rochester, NY in the town of Brighton. We look forward to seeing you!
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