THE PRICE FOR FIRST PLACE

DAY 80

John 5:4 for an angel of the Lord went down into the pool at appointed seasons and stirred up the water; the first one to go in after the water was stirred was healed of his disease.

As long as an event is tagged as a competition, while everyone may come in with personal targets, many strive to place first. This is because we live in a world where firstplace is the only rank truly celebrated, every other ranking is not even remembered. We remember the teams that win tournaments, but their opponents who placed second are often not remembered.

It is therefore interesting to see how first place was necessary even for healing at the pool of Bethesda. Because as we read, only the one who made it in first after the stirring was healed of their disease. Thus, we infer that the man in today’s Gospel had failed to be first for 38 years and so remained stuck on his bed.

Unfortunately, this strive to place first  has resulted in an avalanche of unhealthy competition and comparison. Many want to become the first to have, the first to arrive, the first to be, the first to win…the list goes on. Consequently, they will happily cheat, twist, pull the rag, lie and employ every tactic available under the sun as long as in the end, they place first. 

May we not become so consumed with placing first that we care not about how we get there.

#sly