America has just been treated to a masterclass in a subject much more important than identity politics

America just got a two-week lesson in something that much of the left has overlooked for the last few years. We just got a master class in meritocracy. And here’s why this matters so much to me, and to all of us, especially the kids growing up in my neighborhood.

Since the Paris Olympics concluded, I’ve been thinking about the many lessons that young people from Chicago’s South Side communities learned from these games. There’s nothing more inspiring than seeing people from all over the world give their all, and I think the most important lesson learned these past two weeks is the lesson of merit.

Merit is something I believe we have lost or obscured by today’s identity politics, where merit often takes a back seat to our immutable characteristics. But in these Olympics, the skin color or nationality of the athletes didn’t matter to us. When we saw great feats, all we could think about was how much effort that individual put into their sport.

Purity, achievement, ambition, disappointment and triumph – that’s life.

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I teach my kids that it doesn’t matter what you do in life, from construction to building an empire, you can’t succeed by cheating, you have to work hard with passion and have a track record, and that’s how you become the best at whatever you do.

When I knew the Olympics were coming up, I encouraged many young people to watch the Olympics. Not because I wanted them to become Olympians, but because I wanted them to see pure ability on display. In the Olympics, you see a lifetime of hard work often put to the test. I wanted young people to understand the fundamental lesson that Olympic moments are not magical, they are not given to you, they are earned through passion, sweat, and rebounding from failure.

I teach my kids that it doesn’t matter what you do in life, from construction to building an empire, you can’t succeed by cheating, you have to work hard with passion and have a track record, and that’s how you become the best at whatever you do.

Watching these events, especially track and field, taught me many lessons that I could apply to my daily life. The young people were especially inspired by America’s winning streak in track and field.

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The first thing that captured the kids’ hearts was Noah Lyles’ victory in the 100 meters. How on earth is it possible to win by 5-thousandths of a second? Faster than the blink of an eye. Lyles didn’t get off to a good start, but the kids and I noticed he was in good shape and giving it his all. He didn’t waste any mile on the track, including the moment his foot touched the finish line. I asked the kids to think about all the time he had put into his body and mind to run a race that took less than 10 seconds. Most of all, I asked them to think about how he perfected his running technique, which ultimately led to his victory.

The next runner we saw was the incredible Gabby Thomas in the 200m. I showed the kids footage of Gabby’s everyday life, volunteering at clinics and giving back to the community after practice hours.

I noted that she went to Harvard, majored in science, and had a life outside of athletics. One of my kids said that she was always smiling and happy, and that’s exactly right.

Then I told her to look at the difference the moment she stepped on the track: she was super focused, super motivated and in pure beast mode. And the best part was, she dominated the race from start to finish and demoralized the rest of the field. The indomitable Gabby made herself so good, so dominant, and she is living proof that the pursuit of excellence leads to resilience, self-confidence and inner happiness.

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Then we watched Cole Hocker and Quincy Hall come from behind to seemingly impossible victories, Hocker in the 1500 meters and Hall in the 400 meters. I pointed out to the kids how disappointed Hocker looked. The other runners looked more statuesque, typical of what you’d expect from a 1500 meter runner. Hocker’s muscles were barely visible. But he persevered throughout the race, and the most important moment was when, as he started to challenge, the Norwegian leader stepped in his path and blocked him.

16-year-old Quincy Wilson of the United States runs the first leg of the first heat of the first round of the men’s 4 x 400m relay at the Stade de France athletics competition during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics on August 9, 2024 in Paris, France. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

One of my kids noticed that Hocker didn’t panic and instead waited patiently. He did, and then the lane opened up and Hocker made a historic move against the favorite. As one of my kids said, sometimes it’s quicker to be patient. Amen.

Hall was so far back going into the last 100 meters that I have to admit we weren’t paying him much attention. He looked exhausted. He looked exhausted. If he’d stayed there he would have had the honor of running in the Olympics, a monumental feat in itself. But Hall didn’t want that. He reappeared in our field of vision, and the kids started screaming.

Bronze medalist for Team USA, Yared N’Guse, silver medalist for Team Great Britain, Josh Kerr, gold medalist for Team USA, Cole Hocker and Jacob Ingebrigtsen for Team Norway cross the finish line in the men’s 1500m final on the 11th day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France in Paris, France on August 6, 2024. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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“Somehow, Hall found something in his empty body and sprinted toward the finish line. I told my kids they were watching what it means to give it your all – to literally leave it all on the track. Now he has a gold medal and will remember that moment every day for the rest of his life.

All of these moments are why I love the Olympics and the message of ability it conveys.

Click here to read more comments from Pastor Corey Brooks