SCMAT Exclusive Wrestling Article 12-24-21

Remember Him? ---

"He will be Great"

Back in 2017, 3x SC HWT State Champion, Gavin James of West-Oak, wore a red shirt to the State Duals Championship Finals with five letters across the front - JESUS ... I knew one day SCMAT would write about the photo, reflecting on Gavin's bold faith.

Christmas 2021 and the Jesus shirt article is here.

I was always a fan of Gavin James while he wrestled for West-Oak. Everyone could see his enthusiasm for wrestling - he loved to win, he had grit, determination, strength ... mixed with wrestling skills and athleticism ... and he definitely had a joy for life ... it was obvious his faith was at the core of who he was - and still is.

Though some readers may have thought this article was going to be about the Greatness of Gavin James, this is actually an article on the Greatness that Gavin was sharing with us through his shirt.

"He will be Great" ... Luke records this in his Gospel as the first thing Gabriel reveals about Jesus ... "He will be great" Luke 1:32

A quick wrestling story - when I was in college quite a while back, I had the opportunity to wrestle my first year - not start - just wrestle. The UNC program ended up being #5 in the country that year and it was a tough year for me adjusting to college, temptations, studies/grades, being a backup to a backup, injuries ... and spiritually I was seeking what my faith and beliefs were all about. Several teammates (and college friends) were great role models and I always feel appreciative for their willingness to stand up for their beliefs and share. Bobby Shriner, former All-American UNC wrestler and now retired Orange H.S. wrestling coach in NC, was one of those - and a great roommate as well. Bobby is now the FCA Area Rep for the Carolinas as well as UNC Wrestling chaplain.

1982 NCAA D1 National Champions

front row (left to right: Barry Davis (Iowa-118), Dan Cuestas (Cal State-Bakersfield-126), C.D. Mock (North Carolina-134), Andre Metzger (Oklahoma-142), Nate Carr (Iowa State-150)

back row (left to right: Jim Zalesky (Iowa-158), Dave Schultz (Oklahoma-167), Mark Schultz (Oklahoma-177) - MOW, Pete Bush (Iowa-190), Bruce Baumgartner (Indiana State-UNL)

What an amazing "Who's Who" of Wrestling Champions!

One of the articles I saved during college, on CD Mock's Championship while at UNC that freshman year for me, inspired me often over the years and I wanted to share it below:

Wrestling USA Magazine - CD Mock (UNC 1982) - Advice from a Champion

That was decades ago ... today, wrestlers express their faith in so many other ways - some share on social network pages; some in podcasts and interviews; some where it's visible for all to see - tattoos, workout gear, off-the-mat clothing and jewelry. Back in the day it might have just been through word and deed as well as participating in Fellowship of Christian Athletes or Athletes in Action

In case you want some modern day reading and not a scanned 40 year old article - here are some great videos, movies and reading that I have had a chance to catch up on recently:

American Wrestler Dan Gable's Never-Ending Faith
Wrestled Away: The Lee Kemp Story
God Alone Defines Me - Kyle Snyder
More than Gold - Jordan Burroughs

In addition to the suggestions above, I highly recommend two great books - easy to pick up at most libraries, which I have done several times in the last year, and actually worth purchasing:

Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ by Timothy Keller
The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger by Lee Strobel

From the list above, award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, Lee Strobel, shares that when he was an atheist and began investigating Christianity - "In the end, the persuasive historical evidence for the resurrection was a major factor in me coming to faith in Christ. After all, the resurrection clearly can be investigated historically: was Jesus alive at Point A? Was he executed at Point B? And was he alive again at Point C?" Like Strobel, you may be surprised at what you discover starting at Point A in The Case for Christmas.

Christmas is a holiday overlaid with all kind of fanciful beliefs - from flying reindeer to Santa Claus sliding down chimneys. But, drill down to the core, Christmas is based on a historical reality - and He is Great.

SCMAT