The King Of The Mountain

The King of the Mountain

The descent from the mountaintop can be so painful. Just ask the old boxer. Sportswriter Gary Smith interviewed him on one of the saddest sports specials ever aired. Too many blows to the head in too many fights over too many years had slurred the ex-champ’s words. Those closest to him had begged him to get out of the ring, but he refused to stop until his crown was taken from him.

Shuffling and shaking with tremors, the old boxer led the sportswriter to a weathered barn behind his farmhouse. Photos, posters, and portraits showed the ex-champ in his prime, his sculpted arms raised, fists pumping the air, and face glowing with unbridled exuberance. But the pictures were faded and covered with bird droppings. Pigeons now made their home where he had once trained.

Shaking his head in embarrassment, the old champ shuffled slowly to the photos and turned them over one by one. He then limped to the door and stared off into the distance. The silence was eloquently painful in that barn. He turned to Smith and quietly slurred, “I had the world, and it wasn’t nothin’. Look now.”

Long ago, the champ did have the world. Most experts agree that Muhammad Ali was the greatest fighter ever to dance across the ring. He won the world heavyweight championship three times and was the most recognized athlete on the planet. His face appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated more times than any other person. As long as he was floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee, he commanded the limelight and mesmerized his adoring public with nonstop chatter. An entourage followed in his wake, constantly stroking his king-size ego. Muhammad Ali was “King of the Mountain.”

As the interview ended, the champ was clearly worn out. Parkinson’s was reducing him to uncontrollable tremors. His daughter said that it was time to take him back to the house. He shuffled out past pictures of “The Thrilla in Manila” and “The Rope-A-Dope in Zaire,” now faded and covered with pigeon droppings. It was too painful to watch. Mercifully, the cameras faded to a commercial featuring a new sports superstar plugging a product. But those haunting words still hung in the air: “I had the world, and it wasn’t nothin’. Look now.”

Most of us know the king of the mountain game. It’s as primitive as it is brutal. The object is to get to the top of the pile. So we push, claw, and crawl to stand higher than anyone else. But getting to the top is a dubious victory. Already, those below are trying to topple the king. Be careful when you hang those victory posters. Pigeons are making their nests in the rafters. You can learn a lot from the story of Muhammad Ali. You can learn even more from the king who came down from heaven’s mountain as a suffering servant. He became a lamb and ended up the Lion of Judah. The greatest story ever told teaches us this:

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:28