The act of losing

I recently watched a movie called “A Knights tale” about a brave and handsome knight who kept on winning all the joust tournaments and was about to become a world champion. He was on a winning streak until he faced a difficult challenge posed by his lover and the princess Jocelyn.

WILLIAM. Jocelyn, how may I prove my love to you? How?

JOCELYN. Do you ask in earnest?

WILLIAM. Yes.

JOCELYN. If you would prove your love, you should do your worst.

WILLIAM. My worst. What do you mean?

JOCELYN. Instead of winning, to honour me with your high reputation, I want you to act against your normal character and do badly.

WILLIAM. Do badly.

JOCELYN. Lose!

WILLIAM. No, losing proves nothing, except that I’m a loser!

JOCELYN. Wrong! Losing is a much keener test of your love. Losing would contradict your self-love, and losing would show your obedience to your lover and not to yourself!

WILLIAM. Really!

JOCELYN. What is your answer?

WILLIAM. I will not lose.

JOCELYN. Then you do not love me.

[THE FLAG GOES UP. BOTH KNIGHTS KICK THEIR HORSES FORWARD BUT WILLIAM STOPS AFTER A FEW METRES, AND WAITS THERE.]

ROLAND. What are you doing?

WILLIAM. Losing.

ROLAND. I don’t understand!

WILLIAM. Neither do I.

[THE OTHER KNIGHT HITS HIM AND BREAKS A LANCE. THE CROWD STARTS TO BOO]

JOCELYN. Oh, he loves me!

No one likes to lose. Inside every man/woman there is an unquenchable desire to win in every situation. It can be a minor argument or a career determining job interview or a big competition. Everyone wants to win.

Saul AKA Paul of New Testament was no different. He wanted to become successful in his goal to persecute and eradicate early Christians. He was advancing well in this cause and he was unstoppable. He was winning in his life goal.

Fast forward several years and it’s the same Paul who wrote “I have lost all things and consider them rubbish so that I may gain Christ”. Wait a second! Did you realise what Paul wrote there to the Phillipians? He was saying “It’s ok to lose in life!” Yes, that’s right. Sometimes you may have to lose for the sake of Christ. Sometimes you have to give up your egos and attitude of winning and simply lose.

Jesus was unstoppable. The Pharisees tried to find fault in him but they couldn’t. They tried to kill him several times but they failed. Jesus kept on winning all the challenges thrown by his enemies. The only time he “lost” was when he stretched out his arms on that cross when the crowds mocked and laughed at him. Even at that time Jesus reminded people that he could easily win that situation when he said “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”. But this time he was bound by an unquenchable love which was more powerful than the desire to win. He wanted to lose so that he can prove his love for you and me. When he took that blow and beating, the disciples got confused. They must have asked each other “what is he doing? Why can’t he show his power and come out of the cross”. But he kept on taking the blows and bled to death. The heaven would have exclaimed “He is losing for his people. O how he loves them.” 

This is what Jesus meant when he said “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Sometimes it is ok to lose in life. You don’t have to win every time. Also, by losing for Christ you don’t actually end up losing but it is the secret of winning in life. Jesus never lost a battle and the fact that he “lost” his life was so that you and I may gain life. This act of losing is also called as SURRENDER!