The odds are not in their favor. The team is not favored to win and there are doubts of them even making the playoffs. According to one site, the Rapids have a 4.2% chance of winning the Major League Soccer Cup at this point right now. The same might have been said of the 2010 side that won it all and took home the league’s most prized trophy – they weren’t supposed to win. Some say that side received the “luck of the draw.” Other bemoan the league’s constant change of decisions with playoff formats that allowed the Rapids to gain the final through the Eastern Conference playoffs (although they weren’t the only team from the west to do so).
But there was something that set the 2010 side apart from other years, other seasons. There was something special in the team that overcame much adversity to win it all and claim their first ever championship. The difference? From this Rev’s viewpoint, that team was much like a family. Let me explain.
Families are not some glorious idealistic that all teams ascribe to – families are messy, dysfunctional and often falling apart and imperfect. But good families, in spite of their differences find ways to overcome. They find common ground on which to stand. They have a strong faith and love in one another and in something greater than themselves. They are willing to sacrifice for each other. They laugh and cry, they celebrate and mourn – together.
The 2013 Colorado Rapids are becoming more like a family – the recent observance of Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s birthday might be a slight indication of the change in the team. It has taken some time for the team to get to this point – which is usually the case. Pareja’s tenure began in 2012 and there has been a period of adjustment for players and staff alike. That time of transition is starting to come to a close and the team is getting closer and closer to each other and becoming more and more like family every day. And that may just be enough to push a team with little or no chance all the way to the game’s highest level.
Blessings,
Rev. Brad Kenney
It seems (and has been) months since last writing. The long dark tunnel of work towards ordination has consumed my extra time and in making choices I have tried to make conscious decisions about “people over paper” – a clever phrase my best mate and I used during our seminary years to help keep priorities in check.
In the process, while I have been stretched and taxed mentally and emotionally and spiritually (as has my family), there has been a deeper appreciation for the richness of the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God. Even in my preparations for the Bible exam, I was rediscovering portions of scripture (especially around the prophets) that were giving me fresh vision and renewal in my soul.