The_Edwards_Notebook-Basketball_Dribble_or_Not091826

Did you know that a game that began with two peach baskets and 18 young men in the year 1891 was to shape the character of young men and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ? Hello, I'm Ron Edwards. On today's space from the Edwards Notebook, when one observes the prevailing wokeness and downright evil that permeates both the NBA and the WNBA, it's hard to fathom that the game of basketball began with such wholesome and lofty goals. A man named James Naismith It was born in Canada but called the United States his home. The first basketball game comprised of two teams, each with nine players. There was no dribbling, no dunking, simply passing the ball around until a player could throw the soccer ball into a basket. That first game of basketball at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891 was a big hit with the young men who loved the challenge and possibilities of the game, as did its creator. But James Naismith also loved what the game represented and why he was at the YMCA training school in the first place. He believed that teamwork sports like basketball could shape Christian character in ways mere study could not. Naismith believed that Christians should be strong, both spiritually and physically, to prevail over the full spectrum of life's challenges. It's a shame that the game invented by a Christian is now dominated by those who reject Jesus Christ. I'm Ron Edwards.