In 1950, sportswriters selected him as the greatest athlete of the first half of the twentieth century. He was a star in the National Football League, perfecting the dropkick as an effective scoring weapon, and played professional baseball for seven years. He was a star in basketball, track and field, swimming, and lacrosse. Jim Thorpe, a true All-American athlete, was the best there was. His recognition for a lifetime achievement in sports did not come, however, without help.
Thorpe was born in 1886 in the Indian territory, now the state of Oklahoma. He lived with his family in relative obscurity. No one cared about him, his family, or his people. He was a Native American, an Indian; by this fact alone he was labeled as one who would not produce anything good. Through some good fortune, however, Jim was chosen to attend Carlisle Industrial School in Pennsylvania, a special college for American Indians. At Carlisle, Jim Thorpe would receive the recognition that his talent deserved.
In the early years of this century, Carlisle was a recognized school in major college athletics. Glenn "Pop" Warner, Carlisle's famous football coach, noticed Jim Thorpe's athletic ability. Jim had never seen a football, let alone played the game. Yet, he was a natural. Carlisle played the eastern football powerhouses of the day: Army, Penn, and Princeton; Carlisle beat them all. Led by Jim Thorpe, Carlisle amassed one of the best records in the country. Thorpe was recognized as an All-American in 1911 and 1912. Jim was a natural athlete; he excelled in everything.
In the summer of 1912, before his final year at Carlisle, Jim represented the United States in the summer Olympic games, held that year in Stockholm, Sweden. He entered and won both the heptathlon (seven events) and decathlon (ten events) in track and field. He is the only person in Olympic history to accomplish such a feat. The king of Sweden told Jim, "Sir, you are truly the world's greatest athlete."
Jim Thorpe was a great athlete, an All-American, maybe the best that has ever lived. As they say, he was one who could do it all. Yet, he lived in obscurity until fortune allowed him to be discovered through his presence at Carlisle, and his association with the legendary coach, Pop Warner.
Jim Thorpe's recognition as a star athlete presents a good illustration to the principal theme we celebrate in our churches today, the Epiphany of our Lord. Jesus was born in an obscure town in a stable and placed initially after his birth in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. He, like Jim Thorpe, was unknown. Yet, through the appearance of the star and its ability to guide others to his location, the three magi recognized Jesus as Lord and king.
Today's first lesson from the prophet Isaiah speaks of how Israel will once again be recognized by God. This recognition will be complemented by acknowledgment from people outside the Jewish nation. Not only were Isaiah's words prophetic for the people of this day and for the time of Jesus, they speak to us today of our need to recognize the power and presence of God in others.
Isaiah's message, proclaimed to those who had returned from exile, speaks of how God recognizes Israel once again. The prophet speaks of a new day when he says that people should arise and shine for the light has come. Although darkness will continue to cover much of the earth, the darkness of ignorance to God's message, the glory of God will shine upon Israel. God will favor Israel, as the Lord has been present to his chosen people from the beginning. God recognizes Israel for who they are — a community that is special to the Lord.
God's recognition of Israel is bolstered by the nation's recognition by outsiders. The prophet says that those who observe the light as it comes to Israel will come to this nation. Kings and rulers will be drawn by the brightness of the dawn, the new light that Israel possesses. They will come from many lands; they will come together to celebrate something great in Israel. Sons and daughters of the ancient Israelites will come from many locations. They and those who have returned from the exile will be radiant. Those who return will bring with them the wealth of nations as a gesture to demonstrate the importance of God's presence in Israel. They will come from many nations, such as Midian and Ephah, and will bear with them special gifts of gold and frankincense. As they come they will proclaim the praises of the Lord.
While the presence of God will be in Israel, the prophet clearly says that those who fail to recognize the Lord will come away empty-handed. Recognition of God's presence lies in the hands of people. The prophet suggests all that is necessary for this recognition is one's attention, but the individual must choose to find God.
Today's celebration of the Epiphany of our Lord speaks of how God was recognized by people outside the confines of Israel. When the magi arrived in Bethlehem, they brought with them special gifts that indicated how they understood the significance of the newborn king of the Jews. Their gift of gold recognizes that Jesus was a king; the gift of frankincense demonstrates their understanding that he was Lord. Finally, the gift of myrrh demonstrates how they understood, far in advance, the need for Jesus to die for his people.
The recognition of Jesus as Lord and king, from the outset, presents a central message that will be communicated by Christ throughout his public ministry, namely that Jesus' life and work were oriented outward to others. As the gospels relate, while King Herod sought Jesus' destruction, the three magi, all foreigners, and illustrative of those outside the purview of Israel, sought to honor him. As Jesus was recognized by outsiders, so the Lord consistently and intentionally sought out the marginalized of Jewish society without losing contact with his own people. He taught in the synagogues, telling the Jews who he was and the nature of his mission. As he instructed his apostles, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 10:5-6).
Jesus' mission to his own people was clear, but he also reached out to many different people, discovering in them things equally special and important that he found in his own Jewish people. Jesus' long conversation with a Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42), his encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30), and his numerous encounters with lepers (Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 17:11-19) demonstrated his desire to reach out to others but especially those on the margins of society. Jesus took his message outside Israel as well, to the regions of Tyre and Sidon, and numerous times to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Clearly, Jesus made every effort to reach out to all peoples; his message was universal. That is why Saint Paul could proclaim: "In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Ephesians 3:5-6).
The fact that God has recognized us mandates that we, in turn, recognize the presence of God in others. We would all agree it is relatively easy to recognize the presence of God in and associate with those whom we like — members of our family, friends, and trusted coworkers. Few of us have any problems when our associations are advantageous to us, whether that is in business, politics, education, or many other fields. We must recognize, however, that Jesus did not play people to his advantage, but rather was completely open to all who were willing to listen to his message and transform their lives. The gospels also clearly show that he had a preferential option for those who stood on the margins. Thus, as people who bear the Lord's name, we must do likewise.
Our Christian call necessitates that we seek out the lost and forsaken in our society. We must search for those who have no voice and those who are despised; we must reach out to those whom society has forgotten. We might refer to all of these people as contemporary lepers. Our challenge is to find God in the aged and those, who in the minds of some, no longer contribute positively to our society. We are to find God in the immigrant, who simply seeks justice, to earn a living, and to live freely without the fear of persecution or possible death in his native land. We have the challenge to find God in criminals and victims of AIDS. Our task, in short, is to not dwell on what might be problematic in people but, like Jesus, to seek the good that each human being possesses.
Certainly, finding God in the "lost" of society, those who are problematic and possibly those we do not like, is not an easy road, but the Christian life should not be easy. We should not expect anything less than the master whom we seek to follow and serve experienced in his life. The difficulty of the road should not be the criterion by which we judge our entry, but rather where the road leads. Jesus is quite clear in the Sermon on the Mount: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).
Jim Thorpe was an unknown, living in obscurity in the Oklahoma territory until he received the privilege of attending Carlisle and was recognized for his athletic prowess. In a similar way, Jesus of Nazareth was born in obscurity, but from the outset was recognized as Lord and king, as prophesied by Isaiah many generations earlier. Jesus, in turn, recognized the presence of God in others. Now, we must do as our master and find the Christ in others. The road will be hard and detours will happen, but the goal is worth every ounce of our effort — life eternal. Amen.