(A story I wrote for our church’s monthly newsletter – edited by the famous Michigan journalism hall-of-famer, Jim McFarlin!)
College is often a time where young people spread their wings and try new things. Sometimes that comes in the form of choosing from a list presented to you. But if you haven’t learned this yet about your pastor, it’s good to know: sometimes he looks beyond the list.
So of course, in my earliest days on campus at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., I looked for ways to enjoy all college life had to offer. Anything seemed possible. I couldn’t help notice that our athletic teams, the Tigers, didn’t have any sort of mascot. That seemed odd to me, so I asked around without much luck.
I went to visit the athletic director, asking for a moment of his time. I remember his response clearly to this day, as it seemed too good to be true:
“Well, we haven’t had a mascot in person since the ’70s,” he said. “I’ve thought about it, but have been waiting for the right person. Maybe you’re it.”
He pulled out a catalogue of “Tiger” options for mascot costumes. He asked me which one I preferred. This was unbelievable –– I’d help resurrect my school mascot, and get to choose the costume as well?
But sure enough, that season I dressed as “Toby the Tiger” for most of the home football and basketball games. Initially they had me attend cheerleading practices until they realized I had zero gymnastics ability or desire. So I had a great time coming up with silly things to do during games, to entertain the crowd and get fans excited for our teams. I posed for pictures with kids and fans of all ages, adding to the experience as much as possible.
For me, the most memorable game that year was our homecoming basketball contest. Dressed as “Toby” I went out to greet our opponents as they warmed up. One player was seated, and as I shook his hand I gently kicked his warm-up uniform away from his chair. I scooped it up swiftly as I walked away and gave it to a friend. Then at halftime I dragged my friend onto the court, dressed in our opponent’s uniform, and pretended to wrestle and beat on him.
The crowd loved it!
Our opponents did not.
I still remember being called into the locker room, after taking “Toby” off, to apologize to the team I’d made fun of. As I walked away, the athletic director whispered, “You probably shouldn’t do that again. But the crowd loved it, so…good job.”
“Toby” was hot in the early football season, so I’d take breaks in a shaded pressbox area to drink ice water. But for the most part I loved every moment of the. Everyone smiled and cheered when I entered the arena. The straps on my tiger head kept it centered, so my face actually had a lot of room to breathe. The only hard part was keeping my “paws” on when I jumped or ran…or when kids would play with my tail.
As my sophomore year approached I’d gotten involved traveling with a couple of different bands. I was invited to Mascot Tryouts, but politely declined. As much fun as it was, I needed a paid gig and enjoyed singing more than stunts. But it was a wonderful way to spend my freshman year, and the mascot became a big thing as years went by. They still have tryouts, and in Olivet’s promo materials and social media you will often see “Toby the Tiger” among the crowd. I helped revive a tradition!
It was also a great reminder to us of what can happen when we look “beyond the list.” Sometimes we can imagine a particular list of how we can reveal the love of Jesus. If we don’t see those opportunities, we wait patiently for one to arrive. But what if we invited the Holy Spirit to stir our imaginations in new ways this week?
Luke 18:27 reminds us, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Salvation itself wasn’t something we could have imagined. How might you join His Love revealed in a way you hadn’t even thought of previously? In what ways might you “resurrect” hope for someone who may not even be looking for it today?
May God use each of us as we cheer on and serve His Beloved, our neighbors…
words from wick 