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What a world we live in these days! The winter Olympics gave me a more hopeful picture of this world than I receive from newscasts, news apps, or newspapers. With all that is going in in Ukraine, the US and elsewhere, some worldly hope is appreciated. Sadly, in some ways some of what I experienced watching the Olympics has even succeeded some of the vision the church too often puts forth.

An American skier won Olympic gold for China, an “enemy” nation. A group of American medal winning skaters trained in Montreal with a Canadian coach. An American gold medalist in monobob became a US citizen just prior to the Olympics.

Having lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, home of the Olympic Training Center nine years and mecca for Olympic Ice Skating champs, I am aware all who train there are not Americans. Nor are all the coaches of the American skaters. Have you witnessed the hugging and celebrating that takes place when someone from another country wins a medal from all those at the finish line….all those from other countries including some who just got bumped off the medal stand?

Often times the church is out front on issues leading the way. Too often because of the fear of empty pews or offering plates the church is too meek on such issues. Sometimes leadership comes from other places like sports. Jackie Robinson comes to mind.

To be sure, all in the Olympics is not free of politics or error. The Russian doping scandal among other issues is a case in point. Yet much of the most visible part of the recent Olympics showing nation after nation parading in for ceremonies, participating and even to a certain degree rooting for one another is a vision for the world.

Sometimes I wonder if God decides that if Christ’s church won’t do it, God will find someone else to lead. The God of the manger has never thought God to be so high and mighty God couldn’t descend to places quite low. From the creator God who in Genesis’ second chapter scooped up the earth to form Adam and blew into Adam’s nostrils, to the manger, cross, and a tomb, God has demonstrated God is not afraid to get God’s hands dirty.

We need to look to and listen to the Word in scripture and sermon. We need to look to the church. We need to listen to one another. We need to listen for God in prayer. Sometimes we also need to lift our churchly gaze beyond the church catholic to the world beyond it. Occasionally places outside of the church can lead even the church and the faithful. God doesn’t mind. God is busy in those places as well.

The Olympic hymn as you may know, is Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. Were you able to see the joy in the faces of even many who lost as they competed together? There is great joy to be found when God’s people see we are better together even as we may compete. There is joy to be found when we become the people God created us to be as God’s children….one family pulling and rooting for each other.

In searching for definitions of the word legacy, I was surprised at what I discovered. One definition has to do with money and property left behind in a will. Another is entering college through preferential treatment because a parent or close relative had once gone to school there. And the third had some definition regarding software that I, of course, didn’t understand.

I was surprised. I thought legacy was some reputation or deed that lived on after one was gone. Some years ago a member here said my legacy would be four Christmas trees in the chancel. In Carlsbad, New Mexico I was told it was more frequent communion. In Fort Collins it was a few new (now old) buildings and in Colorado Springs it was my longevity record, since shattered, as an associate pastor in that congregation.

What will your legacy be? Children? Grandchildren? Some great work achieved? Actually like some of the strange descriptions people have called a legacy (C’mon…4 Christmas trees?), I find this a strange question. Few people I have known see building a legacy as a major goal in life. I applaud this particular lack of planning and constructing.

Don’t you find yourself too busy doing life to be adding the construction of a legacy into that mix? Most of us aren’t heroes, or famous, or even well-known for something. Most of us are simply full-time persons. We stub our toe, do something nice for a stranger or loved one, sort through the bills, check email, make dinner, watch television and go to work. If you are reading this, most likely you can add go to church, worship and pray to that list. Personally, a legacy for me would be fine if I had nothing else to do.

Fear not! I think God would have it this way. There are things that need doing in this life. Important things for us, for our family and loved ones, and for people whom we not only do not know but shall never meet. We need to care for ourselves, let loved ones know they are just that: loved, and we need to care for those beyond our little circles of life. We need to care for those in other places in need of care and we need to care for those yet born; that is we need to care for those of the future. That is why we care for our planet, work for justice and both pray and work for peace. We hope future inhabitants of earth have it better than those of our time. You and I have it pretty well and most major issues of the day will not directly affect us in our lifetime. However, if we are called to love the stranger, who is stranger to us than those not yet treading on the earth’s turf?

There is planning that goes into life. Planning for children, for their college education. Planning for retirement and old age. Planning for loved ones who might have to care for us and who will have to see to the literal disposal of us and of our belongings.

Most of life, however, is spent doing. Most of life is spent as a verb, that is, in action, not as a noun in repose. While scripture might paint images of the future, its most immediate concern is the here and now. Faith itself is for now, not to build up spiritual deposits for a heavenly account in the future. How much of life and of faith might we miss if we do not understand it as a gift to be used now?

Jesus entrusted his legacy to God. In the meantime he taught, healed, called, and challenged. Are you and I able to do this and let any kind of legacy be entrusted to God? Maybe our best legacy is that we were not working on one. Instead we were working on all that life had thrown our way. Maybe this is how we could live now and all the nows that lie ahead. We could then let God handle the legacy part of life. Far more people need us then need some heirloom we could leave behind.