Midst of the Madness

It's called March Madness for a reason - players performing at their highest level, clutch plays, buzzer-beaters, and an expectation of the unexpected.  Our lives can seem like sea of madness, with chaos, pressure, challenges, and daily decisions to make, but in the midst of madness, we can abide in the peace that passes all understanding, that comes from the Lord.  Philippians 4 (ESV) shows us how we can keep our equilibrium:
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Tarris Reed is someone who keeps his focus on Christ; he plays for the UConn Huskies.  A Sports Spectrum article notes that while Reed didn't make the dramatic game-winning shot, he was a major force for keeping his team in the regional final game against Duke in the second half.  The article relates:

“I’m filled with gratitude just looking around, just so thankful for it all,” he said on Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast in January. “It’s crazy how I’m at my last year, going into my last semester, and now I’m realizing, ‘Wow, look at the Lord. Look what the Lord has blessed me with.’ I wish I could have known this in my freshman year. … Be grateful for it, man, because this is it for me.”

Reed said on the podcast that his college experience was defined just as much by his spiritual growth as his growth on the court. Once challenged to read about the life of Jesus in the Bible, Reed now reads Scripture as part of his daily morning routine.

“Jesus just wiped my eyes clean,” Reed said on the podcast. “I got to see the world through a whole new lens. That’s really where my journey began. That’s where the seed — my whole life — just grew and it started to blossom from there.”

Tonight, Reed gets to square off against a team for which he once played, the Michigan Wolverines - while at Michigan, according to Sports Spectrum, "a coach challenged him to read about the life of Jesus in the Bible."  He said, “It changed my life,” adding, “The way I walk, talk, act, speak — Jesus has literally changed me from the inside out. I love talking about the Lord and what He’s done for my life, so I can go out and help others.”

Ben Humrichous from another Final Four participant, the Illinois Fighting Illini, was the subject of a recent Sports Spectrum article, as well, which said:

“I give God all the glory,” he told WCIA in Champaign last weekend. “Finding a ton of freedom in the way that I’m playing again. It’s just fun, and I love that I get to do it with the guys that I get to do it with. So, I gotta give God glory for the gift that this is, and I just want to keep it going.”

Humrichous frequently mentions his faith publicly, such as in postgame interviews and on Instagram. He even had the opportunity to speak at a church in nearby Danville, Illinois, in February 2025. He is also very involved with the University of Illinois chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

He is also quoted from an interview with WEHT in Evansville: “My faith is No. 1. That’s what’s most important. That’s what’s going to drive everything in my life. It’s why I can play the game of basketball and just have fun. Because of Jesus, I’m set free from performance and expectation and failures.”

During the tournament, there have been some compelling faith stories that have emerged. For example, consider High Point's Chase Johnston, who made the game-winner in his team's upset of Wisconsin.  CBN.com reported:

"It felt great! First and foremost, I just want to give all the glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it's been an unbelievable season. This is a group of guys that's built on John 15:13. We serve each other, we love each other, and we'd die for each other," he said, pointing to the team's true source of unity.

John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

The Daily Citizen reports that Chase wears the #99 to refer to the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and how the Good Shepherd would leave the 99 sheep safely in the fold to run out looking after a single lost sheep.

And several sources report he had Acts 20:24 written on his shoes. It states, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."

And, I have to give props to Rick Barnes, who has coached Tennessee to three straight Elite Eight appearances.  Outkick reported that, "After Friday’s win, Tennessee players and coaches gathered in the locker room, took a knee, and recited the Lord’s Prayer — a reflection of the culture Barnes and his players have built that takes place before and after each game."

The article goes on to say:

Freshman Nate Ament, who has been on campus for less than a year, has already felt that lasting impact.

"If I can add real fast, especially doing it before the game and after the game, just to know that good performance, bad performance, win or loss, Jesus is always there for you," Ament explained. "Your worth isn't in how you play as a basketball player, but it's what Christ has done for you. You're a child of his.

"If we all understand that, it kind of allows us to play with more confidence and play for something that isn't a win or a loss, but to play so we can glorify him."

The article also notes, "...at Tennessee, players say Barnes’ authenticity — especially in his faith — is a major reason they commit to the program."  Ament said, "Specifically for me, it's one of the reasons I chose Tennessee because of Coach Barnes and his faith," adding, "It trickles throughout the whole coaching staff."

Rick Barnes is quoted as saying, "I wish, at their age, I would've gone deeper in my relationship with Jesus Christ...That's one of the reasons why, when I came to Tennessee eleven years ago, we started this thing called ‘Power Talk’, and we have for eleven years. It's a gospel message we have before our pregame meals. It's the most important thing."

I have talked regularly about the way that God will use sports, and those who play them, to bring glory to Him.  So many of these athletes have an outstanding platform through which they can share the message of what God has done and is doing in their lives.  And, that can be inspiration to us to testify to the Lord's love and greatness wherever He places us. 

The apostle Paul used sports analogies to reinforce principles of the Christian faith.  Such concepts as preparation and persistence can be found as we read the Scriptures.  We can certainly approach the Christian life in a similar way, being devoted to God and growing in His strength.