“How Do You Mend A Broken Heart?”

        In 1970, Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees wrote the song “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?”  The lyrics point out that you can’t.  But is that really true?

The United States had never lost an olympic basketball game until the summer of 1972.  The U.S. was playing Russia.  Doug Collins (Illinois State - same school I went to) made two free throws with 3 seconds left to give what everyone thought was the winning baskets.  He would have been considered having made the most pressure packed free throws in olympic history.  Unfortunately, the Russians were given three opportunities during the last 3 seconds and won the game.   America was cheated and the team refused to accept the silver medal for second place.  

Doug Collins related that he could never get over the hurt.  On the plane ride home from Munich, Germany he heard the song, “How Do You Mend a Broken Heart.”  He said, “that’s how it is - you can’t mend a broken heart.”  He couldn’t get the loss out of his mind and thought about it every day until the 2008 olympics.  He was an announcer and had addressed the Olympic team before the game.  After they won the game the team, led by Lebron James, put a gold medal around his neck.  After that, his son Chris who was an assistant coach for the 2008 olympic team was also awarded an olympic gold medal as a coach.  In 2009, after Doug was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame as an announcer, his son Chris reached into his pocket and gave his gold medal to him.  Doug finally was able to mend his broken heart.   

Not everyone gets a second chance to mend a broken heart; however, it can happen.  Luke 4:18 is my favorite verse in the Bible because it defines exactly what Jesus was called to do.  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”  

Sometimes it may feel impossible on our own accord to mend our broken heart.  It may feel impossible to get the loss out of our mind.  But our Lord gives us hope.  He has come to “heal the brokenhearted” and He can do it.  In the next blog, I’ll talk more on how to “mend a broken heart.”