Is anyone else feeling sad that the Winter Olympics have come to an end? During the Olympics, my family and I spend evenings glued to our TV, cheering on skaters, skiers, and yes, curlers! I remember when curling first became the awkward darling of the Olympics, and although it is not the most pulse-pounding of sports, there is something compelling about watching teams of athletes work together to come as close as they can to the bullseye.

In case you aren’t a curling fan, here’s a brief primer on scoring: Round after round, the teams aim their “rocks” down a long strip of ice to hit the bullseye, shield their own rocks, or violently knock the other team’s rocks off course. Sweepers work hard to melt or abrade the ice to encourage the rock to “curl” at certain speeds or trajectories, altering the original path as needed. At the end of the round, one team scores by having the rock (or rocks) that is closest to the center of the bullseye. And even if the other team’s rock is a mere centimeter further away from the bullseye, it counts for zero points.  

So what does this have to do with our faith? While I’m sure we could come up with a number of reasons for why curling is relevant to us as Christians, I’ve been seeing it as a metaphor for how we aim for truth and understanding. 

Truth can sometimes be plain and simple - just a straight shot down the ice to the bullseye. At other times, truth can feel elusive - requiring deep reflection, conversation, and effort to find a path to understanding. But almost always, our understanding of what is true can be deepened, strengthened, and made more accurate. We can always get a little bit closer to the bullseye. At times, something might come along to knock our beliefs out of line; at other times someone comes along to clear a path and help us along on our quest for faith. With a little help from our teammates (AKA fellow humans and especially our Good Sam community) we can continue working towards a truer and deeper understanding of our faith.

Peace to you,
Amy Lajiness