Saving the City

Didn’t you feel sorry Sunday for the poor but wise man who saved the city (Ecc. 9:15)… but nobody remembered? Another case of “Unfair and Meaningless!” in Solomon’s litany. But then, people have always been quietly saving the day without receiving compensation or recognition or promotion.

“March Madness” is a good example. If you’re at all interested in this popular college basketball tournament, you probably know the big names and the high scorers (usually one and the same, right?) But there’s another term floating around besides points and rebounds, vital as they are. It’s the word “assists.” What is an assist?

When a player gets the ball to a teammate in a way that results in that teammate scoring a basket, the first player receives credit for an assist. He or she has assisted in the scoring of that basket. They didn’t make the two points, but they were a vital part of the process. Without their effort, no basket.

An assist is a humble and unselfish act. It’s acknowledging that someone else is in a better position to get the job done. It’s intentionally helping them to do it. And it’s being okay with them getting the glory.

Besides, while the crowd is cheering the slam-dunking center and the guard who just sank a three-pointer from center court, a statistician on the sidelines is silently keeping record. Who fed the center the ball? Who bounce-passed it to that guard just when he broke free to shoot? Those who know the game best are watching closely. Players who assist do not remain anonymous.

In the game of life, too, Somebody is watching; Someone is remembering. All your assists – those things you do that help others in a vital way but don’t rack up any points or seem worthy of notice from others… are properly noted, and will be fully rewarded.

So let’s not get petty and self-serving. There are a lot of quietly vital things that can be done. There are many heroes poised to save the day, but they need an assist – a word of encouragement or a bit of financial backing or some wise counsel. You just may have what they need. Are you willing to part with it, no strings attached?

As famous basketball coach John Wooden has been credited with saying: “It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.” Poet Henry W. Longfellow put it another way. “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”

Your assist and their effort… together you just might “save the city.”