'Us' and 'Them'

I don't know how we do it but it seems like it's human nature to divide ourselves into groups of 'us' and 'them'.  Since we moved to Cedar over 11 years ago, my family has always gone to and supported one high school which has become accustomed to our family as 'us'.  The other high school, on the other end of town, has been the 'them' even tho there have been many kids we know and love who have been 'them'.  This year Kyle was hired as the freshmen football coach for 'them'.  We were all a little taken aback when he announced that he would be coaching 'them'.  Especially when he had always been an 'us'.  But we all knew he would be a good coach and so we supported his new coaching position whole heartedly.  Then, on the last game of the season, 'them' played 'us'.  I was torn as to which side to sit on.  After many hours of wrestling with the thought of sitting on their side and cheering for 'them', I embraced the idea, content with the fact that I wasn't really cheering for 'them'.  I was cheering for my son who coached 'them'. 

The day finally arrived.  It was a blustery Thursday afternoon when I carefully stepped onto the bleachers for 'them', afraid I would be struck by lightening or spontaneously combust.  But there weren't any adverse effects.  In fact, a lot of the parents greeted me with smiles and a few embraces.  I started to settle in.   
I wanted to show all the parents of 'them' that I could be as good a fan as any of 'them', so I began to cheer for 'them'.  The game was close and my heart felt like a rollercoaster with every fumble or pass completion.  Occassionally I would be asked who had the ball, 'us' or 'them'?  And suddenly the 'them' became 'us'.  I felt a twinge of comraderee and the line between 'us' and 'them' became a little hazy.  In fact they became more blurred as the game went on.  On the final play of the game, they had a chance to win it, but when the whistle blew, we had won!  And Kyle was elated!  His team had won their first game of the season!  I was thrilled for him!
Then I got to thinking that we were all sent here to play for the same coach on the same team.  And that all He wants is for to be one big team of 'us'.  It seems so easy to say, but so hard to do.  Afterall, didn't he die for all of 'us'?  It's something I need to try harder to remember.