by Rob Globke
Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (the greatest story in a single sentence)
The Power of a Great Story
Humans like great stories. Period. There is just something about a good story that draws us in and captivates our hearts and minds. It’s the way we were built. Maybe it’s because we are part of a great story ourselves. Perhaps stories better help us relate to the world around us. Or, maybe they help us learn something we never thought we would in a way that doesn’t seem like we are learning something new. Any way you look at it, stories are a big part of our life.
The crazy thing about hockey is that it is full of great stories. From stories only you and your teammates know (locker room banter anyone?) to stories that branch out to the world, touching millions of lives. Just take a look at the four stories below. You have a new story and some older ones. You have stories which are epic hockey tales, shaping the very fabric of hockey history. There are happy stories, and a sad one. Some are short, some last a lifetime. Yet, they are stories all the same.
- The Travis Hamonic Story
- The Miracle on Ice
- Henderson’s 1972 Goal
- Billy Butters’ Story
When thinking about all the hockey stories in my life I find personal stories, stories I share with teammates and friends, and even stories I grew up on (like the miracle on ice). These stories have all played a big part in my life, but they have never transformed my life. There is only one story that has the power to do that. This is the greatest story ever told...and we all are a living part in this story...whether we like it or not!
The Greatest Story of All Time
This story is the story of God’s love for us. It is found in the Bible. When people hear this, they get overwhelmed. The Bible is a big book. There are lots of words. Lots of pages. There are many small stories and it’s hard to make sense sometimes if there is a main story. There are parts of the Bible which seem very confusing. It’s just really hard at times to pick out that single thread when so many threads are woven together. There have been times I read a section of scripture and ask, “what in the world is going on here?” We have all been there.
This is why I like verses like Romans 5:8. It boils things down to the very core. It cuts right to the chase. Romans 5:8 could be the shortest story, yet the one which covers the most ground. Romans 5:8 is really the story of the Bible summed up in a single sentence. The story of what God is doing and has done for everybody. Romans 5:8 is the story of God’s love saving us. It is the story for all of eternity that will last for all eternity. The story we would do well to read, over and over and over again.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
To find out more about this story summed up in Romans 5:8, a good place to start is to read a few books in the gospels. They aren’t too long and focus on the central figure and event in all of human history. My favorites are the gospel of Luke and the gospel of John.
