God's Coaching #72

God's Coaching #72

When it comes to the ability to dish out mockery, college students have no equal. Okay, middle-school, high-school, and elementary-aged kids are pretty good at making fun of others too. But college students get to mock people on TV. Have you ever watched a Duke University basketball game? If you have, you’ve probably seen the Cameron Crazies.

“Cameron Crazies” is the nickname for the rowdy, passionate student cheering section that fills the lower seating section at Cameron Indoor Stadium. No one is exactly sure when, where, or how the group got its name, but the Crazies are clearly some of the best in college basketball—and maybe all sports—at teasing and intimidating opposing players. If you’ve ever seen a basketball game where a visiting player’s shot missed the basket entirely, you probably heard the crowd chant, “Air ball!” Guess who invented the phrase—that’s right, the Cameron Crazies. They are masters of making fun. They thrive on ridicule. They’ve teased short players, large players, bald coaches, and players with long arms. They’ve mercilessly taunted players who had run afoul of the law. They even once mocked a player who had recently suffered a punctured lung.

What’s the Score?

The Cameron Crazies do some funny antics, but there’s nothing funny about teasing somebody. According to the Bible, slandering someone is no laughing matter. Slander is speaking falsely about someone in a way that attacks his or her character. In other words, it’s spreading cruel lies. Any time we joke about someone, we are in danger of slipping into slander. God hates slander. In fact, the important laws God gave to Moses in the book of Leviticus included a ban on slander (19:16).

But we should not just avoid slander. We should also steer clear of any unkind speech. God calls his children to show Christlike love in their words. That means any name-calling, mean-spirited teasing, or swearing is prohibited. When we speak about others, people should notice that our speech is different from the world’s. The Cameron Crazies might be passionate fans, but they are not the example we want to follow.

On the Ball

Think of five people whom, honestly, you’d like to slander or ridicule. Now commit to telling them something kind the next time you see them.

Coach’s Comment

Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Leviticus 19:16 (NIV)