Radical Realness and Repentance

Welcome to “Athlos” a weekly blog which examines pillars of personal excellence and regularly brings together the worlds of Christian spirituality and sport.

Real

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”-Psalm 32:3

Repentant

A few months ago, we looked at the beauty of transparent realism, a term I heard used by my good friend, former West Indies fast bowler, Tony Gray. It seems that an unassuming number of people may wish to plumb the depths of that beauty, if the recent revelations of Nick Kyrios are anything to go by.

Kyrios, an Australian tennis player, is a colourful character. Loaded with talent, he has made headlines both for noble and ignoble reasons. Yet, this past week, the BBC presented a side of Kyrios that is likely to foster feelings of compassion and empathy from many circles.

He confessed his struggles with suicidal thoughts and self-harm often caused by being in the public spotlight and having demanding expectations placed on him. Kyrios spoke openly, bravely and honestly and likely struck a chord in many hearts. His self-awareness was commendable, this being an area of true challenge for so many of us. It is not easy to shed light on our areas of vulnerability, so I applaud Kyrios for what he did and said.

As we learn from Kyrios, my hope is that we can embrace the value of radical realness. We do not have to play the image management game. Instead, we can be our authentic selves and gather around us people who will call us higher, but who will never give up on us when we falter. This calls for repentance, a metanoia that leads to a change of mind and, ultimately, a change of behaviour.  Typically, the result is rejuvenation and refreshment, an attractive combination in a world of interior turmoil and exterior burnout. Thank you, Nick.

Respected

People with the courage to expose their weaknesses publicly are worthy of respect.

If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these and other related themes that promote the cultivation of an integrated inner self, read UNBEATABLE! which is available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.