Buzzer Beaters and the Greatest Reverse-Eclipse of All Time

This weekend, college basketball fans across the country will celebrate the culmination of “March Madness” as the final four teams in both the men’s and the women’s brackets battle it out on the hardwood to be named “national champion.” As always, this year’s tournaments have been full of drama and surprises, underdogs and redemption stories. Perhaps the biggest story of the tournaments so far has been the 11-seeded NC State men’s team, who some think was the very last team to make the tournament by virtue of an improbable ACC tournament win. From there, the Wolfpack has surprisingly advanced to the Final Four for the first time since they first shocked the world by beating a highly-favored Houston team in the 1983 National Championship game in perhaps the most iconic college basketball buzzer beater of all time. Interestingly, this year’s NC State women’s team is also a bit of a surprise member of the women’s final four after knocking off a top-seeded Texas team.     

Prior to the men’s championship game on Monday, a large swath of the world will experience the darkening skies of a complete solar eclipse, and many SAES schools and Episcopal communities will take this opportunity to don special glasses and dig deep into some astrophysics. (examples: St. Stephen’s Austin (with a great eclipse playlist!), the DWTX) 

In this context of springtime surprises, buzzer-beaters, darkness, light, and redemption stories, and in the midst of the 50 days of the Easter season, let us consider this unexpected and shocking truth revealed by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: 

“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you

have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And

this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved,

gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law],

so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].” 

Ephesians 2:8-9 (AMP)

NC State may have shocked the college basketball world in 1983 with an improbable last-second victory, and they have somehow positioned themselves for another chance in 2024 after being left for dead in the regular season. But the greatest victory of all time happened when Jesus pulled the reverse-eclipse on death and darkness and shocked all of creation with His unconventional message of forgiveness and unconditional love. It began with humility and suffering on a cross then proceeded as Jesus passed through the darkness of death in the tomb. But on the third day, the stone was rolled away to reveal a miracle - Jesus had emerged victorious from the darkness of death and into the radiance of Resurrection, pulling off the ultimate and eternal victory of light over darkness, available to all by grace through faith in the hope and joy of the empty tomb! 

At the Final Four games this weekend, great crowds will cheer on their favorite teams, and champions will be crowned. During the solar eclipse, people will gather to witness an astrological phenomenon and contemplate their place and purpose in a vast universe as darkness overtakes the light and light re-emerges from the darkness. As part of the Episcopal school community, we have the honor and privilege (and responsibility) of being part of that “great crowd of witnesses'' referenced in Hebrews 12, so let us respond with wild enthusiasm and great hope and joy as we celebrate the ultimate buzzer-beater and the greatest reverse-eclipse of all time.  

LGLO 

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