when tying is winning

Tying is winning when winning means arriving together.

My children love racing. They challenge me to races and love to run as fast as they can to see who wins. A week or so ago, my older daughter (age 4) challenged me to a race. We lined up and at her call began to run. But only a few strides into the race she slowed down (apparently I was being pokey), said, “let’s hold hands to run,” and continued along with me until we crossed the finish line together. My son has not taken that approach yet, and my older daughter doesn’t usually. But she did that time. Tying was winning because winning that particular race meant arriving together.

So, in which races is tying winning, and in which races is it not? That’s a question I’m wrestling with, and you should too.

Tying is not winning when…

• the race is a race to the bottom (being cheaper or faster, as Seth Godin wonderfully points out)
• the race is toward mediocrity

Tying is winning when…

• the race is about vision (for a person’s life, for a church’s ministry, for an organization’s work)
• the race is about faithfulness (to God, in relationships, to a calling)
• the race is about values (truth, goodness, compassion, justice, etc)

When is tying winning? When is it not?