The Great Eight

Scott Hamilton is probably the most famous male figure skater of all time. Preacher Ken sent out an email this week with an excerpt from Hamilton’s new book, and in that email I learned that Hamilton was a member of the church I now attend up until his move to Nashville a couple of years ago. Here is that excerpt:

“As I developed as a skater, more and more I became a devout believer in the Church of Scott. Trust me, having a strong sense of my own individualism, and being so focused and fawned upon as an adolescent and teen, it was easy to join the church of myself. It was a great church! I could do whatever I wanted, and skate as I liked, and be rewarded for it.

Also, like a lot of adults, I had grown somewhat disillusioned with the organized religion of my childhood because I saw how divisive it was for some people, and how some would put themselves above other people. I never lost my faith in God, but I did lose my faith in [and even resent] organized religion.

It wasn’t until my courtship with Tracie, and then finding the Pepperdine University Church of Christ, that I was finally able to disregard my pessimism toward organized religion and embrace Christianity.” (from chapter 2, “Trust Your Almighty Coach”)”

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve probably done my share making fun of Hamilton over the years. A typical Southern football/basketball/baseball fan finds male figure skaters an easy target. Why do we think just because someone is a celebrity that makes them not a real person and allows us to make fun of them? I’ve begun noticing this often in others. It was humbling this week to notice it in myself.