The Line
As I write this week’s encouragement to reach for more of Jesus — it’s football season in our part of the world. American football is a big deal to many people; they fly flags on their car windows and plan game-day menus with their friends. But Steve and I somehow have never caught that fever. We often chuckled with one another during our years living in Kenya; we lived completely unaware of Super-Bowl Sunday. Our second date, over 40 years ago, was to a professional football game and we loved it! But somehow, through the years, our focus has been elsewhere.
Decades ago I was one of the bouncing cheerleaders at the side of the field cheering on our high school team. I loved cheering. I cared nothing for the image of a cheerleader; my hair was always a complete mess and my face covered in sweat. Instead, I was convinced our guys on the field would hit harder and run faster if they heard their people cheering them on. So I did.
American football is 100% about the line. Who is brave enough to step up to the line… knowing they will be opposed… knowing they are about to get hit. hard. Knowing that to move that small leather ball forward there will be opposition. But opposition is not the focus of a good player. The line is. When the ball is moved forward on the field, the line moves forward. The opposing team has to back up. Moving forward is the goal of every play. It only comes with intentional preparation, developed strength, obedience to the coach, teamwork, protecting the one behind them and beside them, all working together with a power and finesse that moves the line forward. The goal is to take the whole field; move that ball across the goal-line. In order to do this, the opposing team will lose their territory on the field.
It’s the line that is the focus.
We cheer for the player — skilled, brave, and strong — who steps up to that line, bends himself down, sets his fingers on the last inch of ground… and at the command, moves forward. The impact is thrilling to watch. The one on the line feels every hit.
One reason people love to watch sports, be it American football, basketball, soccer, etc. is the thrill of watching a skilled athlete step up to a line and face opposition. They KNOW they will be opposed, they’ve trained in order to face it. The line of conflict doesn’t stop them. They are eager to place their toe on it and take the territory.
But there’s a line that is much more intriguing and valuable. A line that is all too often overlooked and covered over by other things.
It’s the line that holds my attention every day.
A life-and-death line.
A line that matters both now and for eternity.
The line between good and evil, light and darkness, truth and deceit, redemption and ruin.
As a teenager, the white line on the green field was where the pigskin ball sat; where padded players collided with opposing teams — where victory or defeat was determined.
Today, the line that holds my attention is scarred and bloodied; where brave warriors have lost their lives and cruel evil snarls. Where spiritual bombs explode and praying saints kneel. The line I speak of has always been the most important of all lines, it’s just that it took years for me to recognize its presence and magnitude.
Our Jesus came because of The Line. He placed His toe on it… and moved forward. No opposition could stop Him. He’s the first to ever cross the line… as a “helpless” baby. His Coach guided Him from the Heavens; He came knowing the opposition would be fierce. The Line that matters most is not the focus of game-day frenzies — but it is the only Line that all of Heaven is focused on.
There have been innumerable sinners-saved-into-sainthood that have toed that Line bravely knowing the opposition would be “invisible” and deadly. From scriptures, we know the names of many who stepped up to the line and pressed forward. Moses. Mary. Joseph. Daniel. Stephen. Esther. Mordecai. Paul. Peter. James. Timothy. Elijah. Nathan. Samuel. Elisha. David… so many toed the line. Many more than I could name here. They felt intense opposition, and gained territory by God’s grace. No one was cheering for them on the sideline. No media coverage or massive checks. They did not do what they did for the applause of others. They were solely focused on moving goodness forward and taking territory. And because they did what they did at their line — we can be braver on our line today.
There are countless brave warriors who’ve stepped up to the line, placed their fingers on the ground at the edge of the line, lowered themselves into position, readied themselves for the impact, and moved forward at the command — and yet, we’ve rarely heard their names. They were among the bravest on the field taking the hardest of hits. And the line moved forward. We live in the flow of that.
Names like Jean Donovan, David Paget, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dusty Miller, John and Betty Stam, Beda Chang, Watchman Nee, Casper and Betsie Ten Boom, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Maura Clarke — only a small beginning to the millions upon millions who have stood at the line between evil and goodness — brave beyond belief over their desire to move the good line forward. To invade territory where darkness had devastated and to shine The Light.
It’s a line to live for. It’s a line worth giving our life up for. It’s often a lonely place, where no one hears the sound of the impact, except for the ears of Heaven.
Jesus placed His holy foot in the space closest to the line and with focused intentionality HE STOOD.
He knew opposition would come; He had come because of it. He knew how it would unfold. He knew the story from beginning to end. He knew some would believe and step up beside Him. He knew how those closest to the line would suffer beside Him. He knew His stance would lead to a cross. He knew what He would do on the Cross; that His blood would redeem, cleanse, save and strengthen those who chose the good side of the line. He knew that evil would celebrate His death. His toe never left the line even when He was in the tomb. He knew what He would do on the third day. HE WOULD MOVE THE LINE FORWARD.
The line where Jesus stands is still in front of us friend. The line marks the place where goodness and evil collide. We can choose to cheer from the sideline or we can step out onto the field. We can allow distractions to lead us away from the field and indulge in the concession stand places of life — or we can focus and step on the field. The Coach will tell us exactly what to do if we’ll just leave the stands and follow Him.
We might cringe at the thought of it. Or we might run towards it. Most often we doubt we are ready for it. We might wonder, “What does it look like to put my toe on the line and stand beside Jesus?”
It looks like integrity — when wrong choices are offered.
It looks like praying — when worry tries to suffocate.
It looks like doing the next right thing — even if no one else does.
It looks like loving your husband or wife — choosing God’s way in marriage.
It looks like speaking the truth — when silence would be easier.
It looks like stepping forward — when we know what’s right, but it’s going to be hard.
It looks like reaching for more of Jesus — and less of all else.
There’s no million dollar contract and no cheering crowd. Oh but the look on the Father’s face, the glimmer in His eye, the nod of His great head, and the movement of that line forward… it makes all the difference for those stuck on the dark side of that line. It changes the scoreboard for all eternity.
