Where (Does) Amazing Happen (?)

Why do we seek the amazing?

I asked myself that question after watching the Milwaukee Bucks narrowly lose to the Boston Celtics on April 8th. It was great! Michael Redd hit a last second three pointer to tie it up. Even better, it was the first NBA overtime game I've ever seen live. Could it be called amazing? Maybe.

The Bucks, (currently the third worst team in the Eastern Conference), were able to bring the entire crowd to their feet several times towards the end of the game. The atmosphere as they closed the 27 point deficit grew more and more tense. By the end it was nearly amazing.

I started to wonder, why are all these people even still coming to Bucks games? They've been bad all season, and probably have had few amazing moments. I'm sure there is a social aspect of some kind, but that could happen anywhere.

People were still attending Bucks games because they are looking for something amazing.

This is good for the NBA. After all, their latest motto is 'Where Amazing Happens'. I was surprised to find that Amazing could even happen in an apparent Celtics blowout. But it did. People are still going to Bucks games, in only for the the outside chance that they could see Amazing.

I think this search for Amazing drives most of us. We all seek Amazing somewhere, somehow. We might want it in a car, truck, or SUV. We might look for it in our house. We might desire it in our significant other. We go on vacations to the ends of the earth to find it. Some people even go to illegal lengths to find Amazing.

Our fascination with sports is one of the best examples of the all encompassing search for Amazing. We all want the game we're attending to go into triple over time. We all want to be watching on TV when a baseball team hits 4 home runs in a row. We want to be at the game when the three touchdown underdog pulls the upset. People have spent eons of time and millions of dollars looking for Amazing in the sporting world.

That said, why is it so fleeting? I was really lucky to find it at the first Bucks game I attended. How many season ticket holders have been searching for Amazing at a Bucks game all season?

A really wise man from a time long ago once said: "What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?" My answer: Most people get no benefit from all their effort. A majority of people never find enough Amazing to satisfy them.

Where can Amazing be found? If you want it to last, it can't be found in things that don't last. That scratches sports, cars, possessions, sex, drugs, and more. To find an amazing that lasts, it needs to be found in something that lasts. Or more specifically, someone.

"And we all agree, our religion contains amazing revelation: He was revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory."

For a daily dose of Amazing, look into Jesus Christ. He will not disappoint, I know from experience!