coach carter

lately i watched a very terrific & uplifting movie: Coach Carter, starring Samuel Jackson as Coach Ken Carter, who oversees the direction of Richmond High School's basketball program in Calfornia.

In 1999, Carter found himself in the center of controversy when he locked out his entire Varsity basketball team in order to motivate and push them to improve their academic grades. You see, in the rough, urban California setting of Richmond High, only 50 percent of all students graduate. A measly 6 percent go on to attend college. Six out of 10 male students end up jobless, while a whopping 80 percent wind up in jail.

Not only did the coach close the gym, but he also banned any and all basketball-related activities. He was even prepared to cancel his entire season after 15 of his 45 players failed to live up to the classroom standards (to score at least 2.3) they agreed to in a contract they had signed earlier in the semester.

This drastic action aroused rebellion in many of his players, especially Cruz, who was also involved in drug trafficking. Cruz rebuked Carter's action, quit the basketball team and continued drug trafficking. Few days later a fren of Cruz was killed after some dispute with some gangster (probably due to drugs also). Watching his friend dying right in front of him shocked Cruz to the core.

That same nite, Cruz went knocking on Carter's door, asking Carter to accept him back into the basketball team. I had thought that Carter would say some harsh word, or reminded Cruz of his rebellion the day he quit the team, but Carter did none of tat. Instead, Carter hugged & comforted the shocky+teary Cruz.

Watching this i felt my heart shrank & tears started pooling in my eyes. I was like, "Wow! This man has the heart of Jesus! He truly knows how to love!" Immediately his action reminded me of the prodigal son & how God had forgiven our sins while we were still rebellious sinners on earth!

oh wow.. i wonder when will i ever know how to love like Jesus does?