The secret

It's good to remember examples of sportsmanship, like LETHTINEN from Finland who won a gold medal in the 5,000m in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The public complained that he had pushed the American RALPH HILL. With great sportsmanship, Ralph denied it. Days later, Lethtinen sent one half of his medal to Ralph, to thank him for his spirit of sportsmanship.

We live in a time where the most important things have gone out of fashion. I think that we have done the same.

So many times we emphasise the importance of victory, the prize, and position, so that everyone seeks just that one thing: winning. It doesn't matter who gets in our way, the most important is getting on top, to win the glory.

But God made us in a very different way. The most important thing is not what we can get, but who we are. What we have is not important, but our relationship with others is.

No amount of money in the world can replace a relationship with someone. No important position has meaning compared to the love of a friend. You may win one day and end up with no friends, but it is better to have them every day of your life.

The greatest of gift is love. Written in the Bible are these words: "If I have all knowledge...faith that can move mountains...give all to the poor, but have not love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13)

Love is more important than all the things we have, who we are and what we give: if we don't have love, we are worth nothing. Love is the thermometer that measures our spiritual situation: the love of God towards others and to ourselves.

We often evaluate our objectives, goals, standing, relationships, etc... but we don't evaluate how much love we have in our hearts. This is the most important thing.

In the midst of a difficult situation, and after Peter had denied Jesus, the Lord did not ask him to do great things (nor did he ask him to repent) but he simply asked: "Do you love me?" This is the secret and this is the most important part.