From Kobe Bryant to Catholic Education

The tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s death last week is still hard to fathom. A 41 year old father and NBA legend, dead in an instant, a helicopter crash to blame. As a Celtics fan, I despised Bryant on the court. Off the court, I could only think of his sexual assault of ayoung woman in 2003. Time’s treatment of this incident in light of his death is thoughtful.

It’s ok to say that he was a loving father, an NBA icon and had a complicated moral past.

What I didn’t know about Bryant was his Catholic upbringing and the fact that he attended Mass on the morning of his death. As he aged, the pull of God affected him.

His story is one that we can share with our students on campus- a famous man, driven to succeed, complicated, flawed, somehow yearning for meaning in his life. Even thebest athletes wonder if there is something else in life beyond championships. Bryant apparently did.

This level of conversation can take place one-on-one or from the pulpit. Wherever it does, we can remind students that God’s desire to redeem us, all of us, is certainly awork in process. This is the “slow work of God.”

This past week also brought us Catholic Schools Week, a tradition for K-12 Catholic schools. As a former school administrator, I was often asked about the value of Catholic education. In other words, “does it work?” Put another way, will I be changed as a result of this school?

Can we ask the same for our campus ministries? Will students be transformed as aresult of our retreats, small groups or service opportunities? Will they encounter role models who speak faith into their lives? Will we, as campus ministry professionals, find the Lord in and through those we serve?

The work of redemption continues and Christ Himself works through us to finish thelong, slow walk of grace. This was seen in Kobe Bryant’s life and most likely, is still unfolding in ours today.