Last week, a man named Manute Bol passed away at age 47. He will be remembered by people in our area for his career with the Washington Bullets (now Wizards.) At 7’7” he was a force to be reckoned with on the court. He never scored lots of points, but at defense he was amazing. He was at least 6" taller than anyone else on the court, and he had long arms.
I saw him at the gym a year or two ago: it was impossible not to stare at him. Everyone in the gym watched him constantly. His head nearly touched the ceiling. He moved with a certain grace, despite his awkward frame.
Bol was well known among area people for his faith. A Christian who came here as an immigrant from Sudan, he made a fortune in the NBA but he never forgot his roots. In 2004 he told Sports Illustrated, “God guided me to America and gave me a good job, but he also gave me a heart so I would look back."
He saw his life as a gift from God to be invested here. After retiring from basketball, he made various celebrity appearances to continue to capitalize on his basketball fame. But he never lived a celebrity lifestyle.
The fact is, Bol gave most of his fortune, estimated at more than $6 million, to the Sudan. He earned more money only to send it home as well. He made frequent trips to assist and inspire the desperate folks back home. On one relief trip, he contracted a skin disease which ultimately contributed to his death last week.
I obviously don’t know what happened when he arrived in Heaven last week, but I have an idea. I suspect Manute Bol walked into the gates and was given a standing ovation- the kind that can only be given in Heaven. No, I don’t mean that all the saints stood and cheered him with one voice, although perhaps they did.
Rather, I suspect that Jesus Christ, the son of God, stood in his honor; and that Christ walked over to say, “Well done, faithful servant. Welcome Home. Come now and receive an inheritance prepared for you since before the world began.”
Manute Bol spent his career in the USA looking back to his desperate countrymen in the Sudan. And in doing so, he taught us all a powerful lesson. Live every moment for Christ. Do whatever you can while it is still called today. And someday, you'll be able to celebrate in Heaven with no looking back.
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