CRAZY TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING?

     For its 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” slogan, Nike, the American multinational shoes and clothing company, launched a new advertising commercial this week (on September 5, 2018).  The ad, which features many athletes from different walks of life, is narrated by an outstanding, but politically controversial, US footballer. It opens with these daring words:
     “If people say your dreams are crazy. If they laugh at what they think you can do, good! Stay that way. Because what non-believers fail to understand is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult, it’s a compliment.” The Nike commercial then builds up to these punchy lines: “Don’t believe you have to be like anybody, to be somebody…. Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything…. So don’t ask if your dreams are crazy. Ask if they’re crazy enough.” And just as the narration ends, the following words and the Nike logo are flashed on the screen: “It’s crazy enough until you do it. Just do it.”
     The 2-minute "Just Do It" commercial is brilliant, attention-grabbing, and inspirational—even if one believes the Nike ad is motivated by financial or political considerations. Also, whether or not we agree with the social activism of the narrator, one cannot ignore the powerful words Nike placed on the lips of Colin Kaepernick, that outstanding US footballer who, in 2016, ignited a political controversy by choosing to kneel on one knee rather than stand while the US national anthem was being played before the start of football games—and paying a price for it. The apt tagline from his protest lips are: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
     In my opinion, Nike couldn't have found a better messenger and face for its "Just Do It" label than a first-class player who is willing to take an unpopular stand to highlight racial injustice, and to risk all for a cause he believes in. Also, the powerful statement, urging us to “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” resonates at different levels—whether it’s sports, politics, personal aspiration, self-motivation, or even faith.
     However, I’ll hasten to add that, on issues of religion and ethics, it’s never wise to just “believe in something” or  to "just do it."  Instead of mindlessly heeding bumper-sticker slogans, a better way is to first “prove all things, and [then] hold fast [to] that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). 
     Believe in something if it’s true, and just do it if it’s right. To believe and to do otherwise is not only laughable, but crazy.—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim