Not placing first isn’t a bad thing

What does it feel like to be in second place or lower? I know that feeling well.

Occasionally, when I’m the only runner in my age group, I get first place. It’s kind of a hollow victory, but I still display the medal because, heck, no one needs to know how many other runners there were.

While I have been in first place about three times, I have been much farther down the list countless times. In one smaller half marathon, I was third from last. That was humbling.

Welcome to the world of Matthias in the New Testament. Matthias is one of my heroes. We know about him from this verse in Acts: “And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26). Matthias was the one chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. He was a second place choice.

Yes, I know that feeling well.

When I worked at a Christian camp one summer in college, I wasn’t one of the “golden child counselors” who played the guitar around the campfire and inspired everyone with my moving conversion story.

I was expending so much energy trying to remember campers’ names that I could barely remember the words to the songs.

When I went to seminary, I wasn’t one of the “golden child students,” the ones chosen to assist during special seminary worship services.

The one service I was tasked with involved helping distribute communion. Here, I spilled purple grape juice all down my white robe.

The stain was permanent, I later learned, and the robe had to be trashed.

Instead of being recruited to work on post dissertational work with faculty, I was told I could work at Faith Mission, the local homeless shelter in Columbus, Ohio.

Faith Mission had a broken sewer pipe, and occasionally raw sewage would leak into the office.

Area churches were schedule to provide a meal, but when they didn’t show up, we had to rush to scrabble together some “Johnny Martzetti,” otherwise known as goulash, or something similar from the meager stores in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, my Golden Child seminary classmates were assisting pastors in upscale churches.

Most of the people in the world are Matthias people, the workers who are in the background and receive little glory. They are the ones who take down chairs after people clamor to hear an important speaker or mop up the kitchen after a community meal.

These are the second stringers, but they are the foundation of churches and organizations.

In the days when most people want to be on top, we remember and are grateful for the Matthiases in our churches, organizations, and families.

Without them, things would grind to a halt. If you find yourself consistently not a Golden Child, if you are often second place or lower, my hat’s off to you.

About the Author
Pastor Sharon Smith of St. Paul’s Lutheran in Imlay City has been ordained for 33 years, serving five congregations in Michigan and Wisconsin. This reflection was inspired by her seminary classmate and friend, the retired Rev. Dave Coffin, a fellow second stringer with whom she once worked at Faith Mission in Columbus, Ohio.

Contact Sharon at tct@pageone-inc.com