Successful sports celebrities are often raised to a status well above what they are actually able to maintain in the public eye. Eventually, this nearly always leads to a certain amount of disappointment to those who idolize them. Why? The answer is simple. Celebrities are actually just like the rest of us. They are human. No matter the level of celebrity they manage to achieve, nothing changes that fact.
The word “fan” is short for “fanatic”. According to Merium-Webster, the origin of the word is from the Latin , “fanaticus: inspired by a deity, frenzied”. In modern day usage, to be a fanatic means to be one “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion”.
Manny Pacquiao is not a deity. He has never claimed to be. The man who played the superhero in the movie “Wapakman” is still just a simple man from General Santos City, Philippines. However, many fans seem to have categorized him as a near-superhuman being. His boxing skills are unquestionable, and in the ring, he does indeed appear to be superhuman. Outside the ring, he displays a form of modesty that is extremely rare to those who have achieved such a high level of success. Yet people now tend to demand more from him than he can reasonably deliver.
When a celebrity literally has millions of adoring followers, he can’t possibly be expected to sign every single autograph and pose for every photo. Still, in the public eye, he’s bigger than life. This is despite the fact that Pacquiao himself has never attempted to place himself in such a lofty position. To the contrary, he has remained very constant in maintaining his humility.
At the post-fight press conference following his victory over Miguel Cotto, he was compared to Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. In usual form, Manny modestly denied such accolades. Instead, he simply praised God for what he has been able to achieve in his career as a boxer.
“You know what? I always think myself that I’m just an ordinary fighter…that I can fight the best fighter, and you know; sometimes I can beat a good fighter.” –Manny Pacquiao
“If I think of what I achieve in boxing, you know, even myself, you know, it’s unbelievable. I can’t believe it.” Manny said. “But you know, nothing [is] impossible if you believe God. If you believe God, keep praying…nothing [is] impossible.”
These words are perfectly paralleled to the scripture that states; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” There exists only one true deity, and if fans would take notice, Manny Pacquiao continually attempts to point to Him as the one who is worthy of our praise. Still, it seems that Pacquiao’s admirers continually miss the point.
The popular view in modern society stresses that one is responsible and even in control of his or her own fate. In truth, no matter how dedicated one is or how diligently he or she works to accomplish great things, there is no guarantee of success. We are not guaranteed riches and glory in this life. In fact, we are not assured another breath or another heartbeat. God gives us a free will to make our own choices. Such choices can lead to our success or to our detriment, but all true blessings come from God.
In truth, for anyone who wishes to achieve great things in life, there needs to be a proper combination. Faith combined with diligence, persistence and hard work equal success. The man who kneels to pray in the corner of the ring before and after every fight has indeed achieved great things. He is an inspiration to millions. He brings a message of hope to many who live in seemingly hopeless conditions. He exemplifies what can be achieved through faith and hard work. As we enjoy the brilliant boxing skills and appreciate the riveting personality of Manny Pacquiao, let’s not ignore the message that he continually attempts to convey through his constant praises of the one who has brought him to this point in his life.
Source: 8countnews.com
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