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Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches…”
Jeremiah 9:23
Reflect
It’s incredible to think that just three years before Germany launched its war against most of the world, it hosted all of those nations in Berlin for the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. The event was supposed to be a confirmation of all of Adolf Hitler’s ideals and the superiority of the so-called Aryan Master Race. One humble American threw a wrench into those plans.
James Cleveland Owens was born in the town of Oakville, Ala., which is about an hour north of Birmingham. His family later moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and that’s where he grew up and got his famous nickname. His mother called him by his initials — J.C. — but people thought she was saying Jesse, and the name stuck. What also stuck in people’s minds was his natural athletic talent. In high school he equalled the world record in the 100-yard dash and had a distance in the long jump that would have earned him a bronze medal in the 1932 Olympics.
Jesse had a stellar track and field career at Ohio State University, and it was natural that he would represent the United States in Berlin. (Natural, except that Hitler’s reputation as a racist had already become well-known, so it wasn’t until after a back-and-forth between the NAACP and the American Olympic Committee that Jesse agreed to take part in the games.) Jesse was entered in the 100-meter and 200-meter races, as well as the 100-meter relay and the long jump. And he won all four events convincingly. Jesse set a world record in the 200-meter race, helped the relay team set another world record and set an Olympic record in the long jump. (He already owned the world record before the games.)
There has been a lot of debate about whether or not Adolf Hitler snubbed Jesse when he won each time. Jesse himself insisted that Hitler didn’t reject him and actually waved to him after one victory. (Jesse actually said the biggest snub came from American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who didn’t send Jesse a telegram or invite him to the White House, as he did with some of the white Olympians.) But what is clear is that Hitler wanted to show off his country’s perfection to a captive audience. He wanted his Aryan ideal to be on full display, and to be fair, the facilities were spectacular. Germany also dominated the medal count, winning 89 medals and finishing atop the standings. (The United States came in second with 56.)
But in the marquee track and field events, a simple, humble black man outshined the entire Aryan Nation. Without bragging, boasting or thumping his chest, Jesse Owens let his talent do all of the talking for him, and he walked away with several golden moments. Today, the name Adolf Hitler is a byword, and history regards him as perhaps the greatest villain of all time. Meanwhile, Jesse Owens stands as one of this country’s greatest athletic heroes.
I’m sure you’ve met people who champion their own abilities very loudly. They will be the first to tell you how great they are and how much they are capable of doing. Regardless of whether or not they are as good as they say they are, those people are rarely very high on anyone’s list of favorite people. Meanwhile, there are those who are the opposite. They talk little and never esteem themselves very highly, but they tend to come through in big situations. They’re reliable, dependable and good at what they do — and people tend to think very highly of them.
That’s very much like what Jeremiah was talking about when quoted the Lord as saying, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches…” Instead, he said, we should boast in the Lord and what He has done for us. Our victories are never truly our own, because the Lord gave us the ability to win. Without God behind us, we really don’t have anything to brag about.
Today, make sure you do your best at whatever you do. The Lord loves excellence, and the world notices who does a good job and who does not. But remember to let your abilities and accomplishments speak for themselves. Don’t trumpet your own horn, and instead give God the glory and let others see what He is able to do through you.
Reflection copyright © 2021 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
