We tell ourselves that skill is the precious resource and effort is the commodity. It’s the other way around. Effort can trump ability… because relentless effort is in fact something rarer than the ability to engage in some finely tuned act of motor coordination.
+ Malcolm Gladwell
A close friend of mine forwarded me an article entitled “How David Beats Goliath: When Underdogs Break the Rules” by Malcolm Gladwell from The New Yorker. The article features a story about an underdog basketball team in southern California who employed a unique strategy to win games against opponents who were much more talented, able, and experienced.
My dad was a basketball coach who employed many different defensive philosophies during his coaching career (which spanned 29 years and 404 wins at the high school level). Some of my most exciting memories as a player on Dad’s basketball teams happened when we were attacking with full-court pressure on defense. We scored some “easy buckets” and caused some serious confusion with our attacking and relentless defense instead of dropping back to react to the other team’s pressure.
Simply reacting is not the movement of David. Reactionary tactics are reserved for Goliath… and those Goliath enslaves.
As long as there are established and imposing Goliaths… the world will never be rid of underdog, relentless Davids.
And this truth is encouraging to me… as a young pastor… planting a church… in a movie theater… with a simple vision (captured in three words which add up to only six letters)… with very small (but focused) marketing funds… and a collection of leaders who love this city.
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//rweaver//