DAWN Fridayfax 2005 #04

USA

In the ring for God

When Champion and heavyweight boxer Chris Byrd enters the arena, African music plays, with the words "Jesus bled and died for me". And when he enters the ring, the words "Acts 4:12" are clearly visible on his shorts. Why advertise for God in the boxing ring? "An enormous number of people see my confession," says Byrd, "and a lot of people like my style. OK, a lot don't like it, too." Byrd wasn't always so excited about Christ. Up to 1993, boxing was his life: 275 fights won as an amateur boxer, and he won the silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. He dreamt of making a fortune. His wife, Tracy, found Christ through two Christian women in their neighbourhood. She began visiting a church with her daughter, and Byrd joined them one day. The penny dropped after a few visits, and Byrd decided to follow Christ too. "I promised God that, if my career took off, I would speak about him everywhere." In April 2000, Byrd won against Vitali Klitschko in Cologne, Germany, obtaining the World Boxing Organization title. He lost the title six months later, but won in back in December 2002 in a victory over Evander Holyfield -- also a professing Christian.
Source: New Man Magazine

Germany

The world's best referee under a higher authority

Markus Merk has been voted World's Best Football Referee, overtaking 42-year-old Italian Pierluigi Collina, who held the title for the past six years. Merk refereed the final of the European Football Championships. "A deep faith in God and my actions as a professing Christian give me inner peace," he says. He loves righteousness, in football and in life. Besides his job as a dentist and refereeing, he is the co-founder of "India Aid Kaiserslautern", a charity helping the needy Sogospatty, Southern India. They have build a children's village with a school for 170 and an orphanage providing 30 children with a home. Once or twice each year, Merk visits the village to provide the children with dental care. He often finds it difficult to clear his head of the impressions from India when he has to referee a football match only a few days later. The contrast between the poverty he experienced and the footballers' millions is immense. "You're in India on Thursday, fly back on Friday, and on Saturday, you're in the stadium, where the kick-off is all that matters." He still tries to maintain his distance from the game's "It's all about me"-mentality. He radiates confidence and is sceptical of the glamour.

Football isn't the most important thing

"The events on the football pitch should not be the most important part of our lives," says Merk. "We often talk about matches of fate, but the fate of many is in the balance in many different places around the world." On the pitch, he's known for his smile, and for his clear decisions. "I'm responsible for the players' health, after all." Like all referees, he has to bear scorn from players and fans for his decisions. He's been called all sorts of names on the pitch, and received telephone murder threats. Like all referees, he dare not show any doubt about his own decisions. A sovereign smile even while playing out several scenarios in his head is the name of the game in his class. In God, he finds the strength which he needs to project authority as a referee. A Catholic, Merk crosses himself before every match. "That is my personal kick-off. Faith in God gives me strength for life." He doesn't pray for divine inspiration in difficult decisions, though.
Source: pte online, David Kabel, Football Bible, Livenet

USA

Throwing down the gauntlet at the feet of middle-class Christianity

Many young American church leaders revere him like a guru: pastor and author Erwin McManus is the 'cultural architect' of Mosaic, one of the USA's most innovative and creative churches. People from over 60 nations, many of them artists, attend the church in Los Angeles. In February 2005, McManus will publish his most controversial book to date, titled "The Barbarian Way" (Thomas Nelson Publishers). His aim is to present the Gospel in a completely new and brutally honest manner, contradicting social trends and throwing down the gauntlet against middle-class Christianity. "I want to destroy this terrible cliché which says that the safest place in the world is the centre of God's will. We Americans have created an egocentric culture, making God our servant. Everything we want to read is how we can become even more blessed! That has got to change," he says.
Source: E. McManus

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