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FIRST PERSON: The big decision by Brett Maragni Date: Jul 12, 2010 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--It’s finally over. The “Decision” has been made. LeBron “King” James announced that he would take his talents to Miami to join stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Has there ever been so much hype surrounding such a trivial decision? One aspect of this story has been the Cleveland angle. One would think that the future of all of Northeast Ohio was resting in the hands of a 25-year-old man who excels at a world-class level at what? Performing pediatric heart surgery? Reducing crime? Attracting businesses to a rust belt city? No, none of those weighty matters. LeBron James excels at putting an inflated orange ball through a cylinder set 10 feet above the ground. It is no secret the millions and millions of dollars the Cleveland economy is projected to lose thanks to the departure of its incredibly marketable superstar athlete. And who is not aware of the tremendous pride and hope that has been wrapped up in this hometown boy who has become a global icon? But this might actually be one of the best things to happen to Northeast Ohio. Now maybe the city will rise on its own merits rather than trust the young man once labeled the “Chosen One” to turn things around. Another angle of this story has been the impact James’ decision would be to some future team and city. We now know it is the Heat of Miami. Immediately after James' announcement, live cameras revealed ecstatic Heat fans in a Miami bar screaming and jumping and hugging and high-fiving and nearly knocking each other over for joy that the Chosen One had chosen them. Visions of an NBA dynasty are surely running through the heads of Miami fans. Local entrepreneurial types are probably pulling all-nighters trying to think of ways to hitch their wagon to the King James cash train that is coming to town. Who knows? Maybe James' move to Miami will boost the South Florida economy to the point that all those thousands of empty condominiums will finally sell, serving as the catalyst to turn around the housing market, which might, in turn, revive our national economy, revealing that perhaps James is more the Chosen One than anyone ever dreamed. Or not. The reality is that James' decision of where to play basketball, as hyped as it was, pales in comparison to the decision every single person must make regarding what to do about the claims of Jesus Christ. Millions of dollars and regional pride may have been at stake in James' decision, but eternity is at stake in the decision of whether or not to repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ’s atoning death and victorious resurrection to provide eternal life. Sadly, this decision to follow Jesus Christ is delayed, ignored, rejected and even mocked by millions of Americans. As Christians we should not be surprised. After all, what can spiritually dead people do? It’s their job to delay, ignore, reject or even mock the claims of Christ. We, God’s people, must hit our knees, imploring our gracious God to bring revival and spiritual awakening to this nation, so that more men and women, and boys and girls, will make the biggest and greatest decision of all -- to follow the King of Kings. --30-- Brett Maragni is senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel of Jacksonville, Fla. His website is www.pastorbrett.com.
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