Webster’s dictionary defines the word “magnanimity” as a loftiness of spirit enabling one to bear trouble calmly, to disdain meanness and pettiness, and to display a noble generosity. I remember being taught to embrace this quality by my parents, teachers and coaches from the time I was a small child. Sports is a great venue for learning this art. A ritual that is commonly found today in sports at all levels, including among professionals, is the mutual congratulating by players of the both the winning and losing teams after their hard fought contest with a simple handshake and the statement, “Good game!”
After enduring nearly two years of vitriol slung at and by the various opponents running for President, the election this past Tuesday finally decided who will lead this nation for at least the next four years. In the aftermath of a campaign that ultimately provided the American people with a choice between two deeply flawed candidates (a choice between what I often described during their campaigns as the “evil of two lessers”), the American people and our electoral system has declared a winner.
Whatever you may think of them, our sitting President, Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and President-elect Donald Trump all schooled us this week on the virtue of good sportsmanship. They were magnanimous in both victory and in defeat. This is something that all Americans should take note of, celebrate, and learn from. Yes, in many ways we remain a divided nation, but in the election’s aftermath, our leaders on both the winning and losing sides reminded us of what sportsmanship and magnanimity is all about. So does this week’s inspirational tale:
Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all of this to his “dad”. That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried, but his father, never taking his eyes from the newspaper he was reading scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young eager son.
The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed. Finally, Gilbert’s mother stepped in to see if she could figure this all out. The project began. Having no carpentry skills, the mother decided it would be best if she simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. She read aloud the measurements, the rules of what they could do and what they couldn’t do.
Within days Gilbert’s block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car; a little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of Gilbert’s mom).Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids’ cars and was feeling pretty proud of his Blue Lightning, a pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own.
Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby car in his hand and pride in his heart we headed to the big race. Once there Gilbert’s pride turned to humility. Of all the competing car’s, his was obviously the only car made entirely on by the competing scouts. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed.
A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert’s lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle. To add to the humility, Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side. A couple of the boys who were from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side, Gilbert had only his “Mom”.
As the race began it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp. Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there. As the last race was about to begin, Gilbert, wide eyed, shyly asked the scoutmaster if he could stop the race for a minute, because Gilbert wanted to pray. The scoutmaster obliged.
Gilbert dropped to his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow he set to converse with his heavenly Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood, a smile on his face and announced, “Okay, I am ready.”
As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed. Gilbert’s Blue Lightning rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy’s car. Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud “Thank You” as the crowd roared in approval. The scoutmaster came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?” To which Gilbert answered, “Oh, no sir. That wouldn’t be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I wouldn’t cry when I lost.”
Message:
Children seem to have wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn’t ask God to win the race, he didn’t ask God to fix the outcome. Gilbert asked God to give him grace to accept the potential that he might lose.
When Gilbert first saw the other car he didn’t cry out to God, “No fair, they had a father’s help!” No, Gilbert went to his Heavenly Father for strength whatever the outcome. Now that this election race is over, we, even as a divided people, instead of rising up in anger at our loss, or touting our victory, should be seeking God’s gift of righteous strength and wisdom on all of our people that we may be humble and magnanimous in both victory and defeat.
Our leaders this week have showed us the way. Now, as a people, we should pray that the wisdom shown by our leaders this week will be a beacon that guides us all onto the path of magnanimity.
“The magnanimous person has the right concern with honors and dishonors.” – Aristotle
Have an AWE-full Weekend!
William J. “Bill” Bacqué