To begin with, I
want to preface this statement with the acknowledgement that I do not consider
myself a Christian, at least not in the typified sense of the word. Being raised as a Roman Catholic, I fully believe that the teachings of Christianity serve as a perfect substratum for what it means to be a good human. When I say
that I am not a Christian, I simply mean to relay that I do not believe that
Christ is the only example of what it means to be a good person. Through my life’s wanderings and interactions with people of other faiths, I have come to realize that every religion shares one basic tenet: treat others and
yourself well.
Throughout my life I have always considered myself a very spiritual person. In
fact, if someone were to ask me what my dream job would be, the role of pastor
immediately springs to mind. The only reason I have not pursued this path is my lack of belief that any one religion is the “true” religion. Thankfully,
my passion for preaching the greater good is not lost as I have found that,
through teaching and coaching, I can still help others grow in their
understanding of self and the world around them. As it turns out, helping
others find and follow their moral compass gives me my greatest joy.
So, all of this
begs the question as to whether I think that I could coach at a school where
Christ is a focus? The answer is absolutely. In fact, this would actually make
the job easier as I would imagine that the student/athletes who choose to
attend Whitworth do so out of a passion to follow one of the world’s greatest examples
of what a life of servitude looks like. This means that they understand what it
means to give of self, to sacrifice for the greater good and to always be aware
of how they are impacting those around them.
This shared
belief and passion further simplifies my role of coach by providing an immediate example of how any situation (good and/or bad) can be handled.
Couple this with the fact that most of the student/athletes who choose to attend Whitworth do so out of belief that your University's education will enable them to best live
a good life, and I foresee ease in creating a group of driven, compassionate followers.
This is my greatest hope: that I will always have the opportunity to help
others find their passion, spread their love, and grow in their understanding
of what being a good person means.
“[To
have Faith in Christ] means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There
would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his
advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow
that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way.
Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save
you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but
inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of
Heaven is already inside you.”
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