I had a lead role in the movie “Radio.” I don’t like to brag about it much, but it was kind of a big deal. The movie was a true story about a high school coach who befriended a man with special needs who helped the team for decades.
I had the important part of sitting in the stands with 10,000 other extras. It seemed as if I would have a minor role to play until I got the call from a friend who said they needed someone to be the assistant coach for the opposing team.
I hurried to get my wardrobe and reported to the field. The director informed me that there would be no lines. I simply needed to react on the sidelines to an interception that my team would have.
As I thought about how the scene would unfold, I decided to run along the sidelines as my player ran for a touchdown to ensure I would be seen. The play occurred, I reacted, and ran step for step with the player all the way to the goal.
As the scene wrapped, I lingered with the director, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Ed Harris. I looked at Ed and said, “Ed, you do good work.” He looked puzzled as to who I was, so I said, “Lee Clamp. Specialty Extra.” The director then politely escorted me off the field.
I took my friends to see my movie, and I was shocked when I was cut out of the scene. I didn’t even make the credits.
Sometimes we have too lofty of a view of ourselves in this epic story of the history of the world. Despite how we portray ourselves on social media, Jesus is the star of the show. We are not the center of the universe. In fact, our planet isn’t even in the center of our solar system, and our solar system isn’t even the center of our own galaxy. We have such a minor role in the plot that it could be perceived as meaningless. Jesus, however, gives us a part to play and invites us into His story.
South Carolina Baptists will gather this month to celebrate our role in how God is redeeming the world. We celebrate 28 new church plants, 44 percent of public schools being served by a South Carolina Baptist church, the top sending state for collegiate GenSend missions, 15,725 college students engaged by Baptist Campus Ministries, over 8,100 student campers, and 9,040 teenagers hearing the gospel at One Nights. Finally, we celebrate 252 S.C. fully funded missionaries with the International Mission Board in every affinity. The sun never sets on a South Carolina witness around the world!
I rented the DVD and found extended footage of the scene. If you pause it at just the right moment, there is a blur in the background that I like to think is me. Thank You, Jesus, for letting South Carolina Baptists be a blur in the background of Your story of redeeming the world.