It is a joy being an Alabama Crimson Tide fan. When you win three national championships in four years and are a top contender for yet another, it’s hard not to be ecstatic. Before the “Nick Saban” era, the last National Championship was in 1992 under Gene Stallings but Alabama has often been a contender for the SEC Championship title.
Earlier this year, I mentioned that I was no longer a Colts fan since Peyton Manning left for Denver. The Colts have done fairly well in their first year with rookie Andrew Luck – 11-5. But, now I’m a Broncos fan. Again, it’s a joy being a fan when your team is winning. The Broncos, like Alabama, have a tradition of winning. The Broncos made it to the playoffs in Manning’s first year with a 13-3 record.
Then there’s the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland had a winning season in 2007 (10-6). The last time they made it to the playoffs was in ’02 but the last time they won a game in the post-season was in 1994. They actually had an undefeated season in 1948! You don’t associate the Cleveland Browns with post-season appearances; they have never made it to the Super Bowl. They were runners up for the AFC Championship in ’86, ’87, and ’89. But each year they lost – to the Denver Broncos.
We have a brother here in the church in Paris, Jack, who is a fan of the Cleveland Browns – yes, they do exist! Maybe you could combine Browns fans with Bills fans and you would have enough for a football team. Jack wears his Cleveland Browns jacket “in season” and “out of season”. Being a Cleveland Browns fan in the “bad years” is not the same thing as being an Alabama fan during their bad years or a Denver Bronco fan in their bad years. At least then, you would have hope for a better year. Jack is a true fan.
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Then there are the “Cleveland Browns” families or individuals. It seems these never catch the lucky breaks. They are constantly needy – socially, emotionally, and financially. While they aren’t necessarily demanding of others around them, they are needy. They need heavy doses of support, encouragement, and prayers. One eldership with which I worked referred to these as “high maintenance” Christians.
Even more than the Cleveland Browns needs fans, high maintenance Christians need support and encouragement. This isn’t to say they need handouts. That might simply enable bad behavior. But look around and see who needs a friend and be that friend. It may take a lot of time, energy, and prayers but if it helps them get on their feet, it will be worth it.
–Paul Holland
