The Truly Transcendents Pt. 1

"Outdo yourselves in honouring one another"

Like another Abraham, we’ll sacrifice our children, our partners, our friends, our country, our planet, if we can only share a glimpse of the God who sacrificed everything!!

Such is the spirituality of this place called the “Tennis Court”. Those who have played at Roland Garros or Wimbledon speak of this ever so often and know exactly what I am referring to when I say there is an emotional connection we share watching this game.

On a backdrop such as this in a beautiful place called Beaulieu -Sur-Mer, I find myself once more entranced by the beauty of the mountains overlooking the players on court as they craft and create their way through to a prestigious ITF (International Tennis Federation) Junior Tournament. Children all over France and sometimes from faraway come to participate in these pre-qualifiers to get a chance to play in the J-300 tournament that will give them a boost towards a better ranking in their Junior years.

The venue is a beautiful city that is woven into the poetic and cultural heritage of France, it boasts some very scenic views of majestic mountains that makes any observer feel the presence of a God who speaks through His natural creation, lending voice to the hymn that sings: “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, considering all the works Thy hand has made.” Alighting. from the train, I am captivated by the showcase of architectural style Palace homes, carefully tended lush gardens and historical artefacts that surround the entrance to the tennis club de Beaulieu.

Yesterday, I was watching Novak Djokovic play in Miami, against his friend Lorenzo Musetti, and as I stepped into this place I could not help but think if perhaps both at some point in their careers had also played in this same tournament and if they had, could it have evoked in them this same feeling of awe I felt in this moment looking at the clouds touching the trees and the mountains as if a secret were being spoken to them. Such were the meditative thoughts going through my head as I waited to watch the matches that were unfolding before me.

In my meditative state I saw the distance of time and space merge in one place - the tennis court - where dreams and belief collide to create a tapestry of well woven ideas, work, and sacrifice on a canvas of hope. The beautiful art of playing the game as one perfect dance is what leads us to strive with each passing year hoping that one day our children will transcend from here to the next level on the ATP and WTA circuits.

The beauty of a singleness of mind.

The hallmark of trail blazers like Abraham, Moses, Joshua (when their eyes were opened), and Mary when her eyes were opened in the garden when she saw Jesus and she spoke up when it was dangerous for anyone to proclaim the risen Christ saying: “I have seen the Lord” And she told them what He had said to her. (Jn. 20:18), makes one think deeply about the connections we make in this world when we are singleminded but yet interconnected. Tennis is such an individual game, so to state that I met in this one afternoon friends from two or three years back, who like me have been traveling the road with their children; and we were able to share a lunch without having planned it, catch up on all our individual tournaments, trainings, ups and downs, plus all the lessons learned contributed to my emotional and mental well-being for the month. It rejuvenated my writing and creative juice and made me realise how much this sport of tennis has given to me, and how connected to my spiritual life it really is.

When you compete in such a sport as ours where loosing is more guaranteed than wining but performance even in loss is respected and celebrated. This embodies for me the true spirit of outdoing one another in giving honour to the other person. By showing up on the court, we do speak out. I share this because I can and because of the dedication I know it takes for parents to follow children around the world to give them an edge or even just to fulfil dreams. It seems like a thankless job and most times definitely it is, but when all is said and done, the friendships that the children develop and the resilience to fall back on even in the tough times of their adult lives will be the hallmark of the works that have been performed on these tennis courts. And we are bold to speak it at a time when others may think we are just spending our time, chasing a fuzzy, yellow ball!

So finally I am bringing it all together, my writing and my tennis. The platform to write and feel inspired on the tennis court for me symbolise all the events that have led me to this one moment in my career. What is that? (smile) Yes, I could not tell you I have a job, but rather what I would say is that I have a purpose. The one thing that keeps calling me to it over and over again, and that one thing is intertwined with the inner-man. My motivation to keep doing what I do is really all about sharing the Bible, sharing the experiences of how my life reflects His when I allow myself be the Word of God that someone else sees.

My passion, I lay it all down when I play tennis; and God knows that as Jesus had once said to the lady He met at the well that there will come a time when we will no longer have to go to a particular mountain or sacred, marked out place to serve Him, but rather our service of Him will be marked by the heart that reaches out to others, and seeks the truth! Not in any place, not by performing some religious ritual (no pawn intended) but simply by observing and allowing our very presence be the Bible (His Truth) in action be what others read and then along with the trees, the Mountains and all that surrounds us, join to bare witness to the fact that indeed there is a God and He sits majestic on His throne, for all to serve and give Him glory