Teams & Teamwork!

John 3:16-18 

Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.’

Food for thought

Whenever we talk of child, we implicitly talk of two other people: the father and the mother. And whenever we mention father we mention at the same time two other people, the mother and the child. And whenever we mention the mother, we mention the father and the child. In other words, there cannot be a child without a father and a mother; there cannot be a mother without a father and a child; and there cannot be a father without a mother and a child.

In today's gospel reading, as soon as Jesus mentions the word " Son" we understand that he implicitly mentions two other people, who with this Son become three. We do understand that God is a trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. If God is trinitarian, if God is three in one, if God is communitarian, if God is a family, then God is a team. According to Genesis 1:7 God created us according to his image and likeness. This means that by looking and observing ourselves, we can come to some understanding of God; and by learning of God, we can gain some understanding of ourselves. 

If we are God's image, then we have something in common. If God is a team then we are also something of a team, something of a family, something of community. Being a family or being a community or being a team is not foreign to us; it is natural.

Have you noticed that the on going World Cup is all about teams and teamwork? There are different teams, representing different countries. The world cup is indeed "a showcase for teamwork" (Pope Francis). It is all about which team has the best teamwork. You'll notice that just about everything in football depends on teamwork; that in order to win a game everybody must work together under the guidance of a coach; indeed, in life just as in football no one can win alone. God made us to work together.

As Pope Francis said at the beginning of the world cup, "soccer teaches three lessons that can promote peace and solidarity around the world: the need to train and work hard to reach goals, the importance of fair play and teamwork, and the need to respect and honor opponents. To win, we must overcome individualism, selfishness, all forms of racism, intolerance and manipulation of people.'' He said being ''greedy'' in football, as in life, is a recipe for failure.

May the on going World Cup remind us that every day, in some way, we are also part of some team; that just about everything we do in life depends on teamwork; that if you are married, you and your spouse (and children) are a team; that if you are employed, you and your colleagues are a team; that nothing great in life has ever been done without a team. 

Name one great achievement in history that was accomplished by a solo individual, without the help of anyone else...! Nothing of significance. In other words, every great thing, every great achievement in life is done in a team. Even to beget children takes a team; no one makes children alone, no one raises children alone. Even the creation of man needed a team. Read in Genesis and you will notice that before God created man, He said, «Let us» (Gen. 1:26-27). Yes, man was created by a team! And man was created for team: «So God created man in his own likeness. He created him in the likeness of God. He created them as male and female.» God created us as team.

NO SOLO EVER DOES ANYTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE. If you want to succeed, team up with some people; alone you will never, ever, get anywhere of significance. Get involved in some team and involve some people in what you do, whatever you do. You have missed too much already for working alone, for being alone, for living alone. Remember what the Bible says about this: «It is not good for man to be alone.» It is not good; and it will never be good to live and work alone, for all of us and for everybody. Yes, in order to succeed you and l need a team. That is the rule. Violate it and it will violate you; keep it and it will keep you. One is too small a number to achieve greatness.

Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Most Blessed of the Teams, the Blessed Trinity, we wish to acknowledge all our teams, all the members of our different teams, beginning with our family team, our faith team, our friends team, our professional teams. May the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless our teams. Amen.