Muhammad Ali, Seen by Many as "The Greatest," Dies at Age 74

The Wired Word for the Week of June 12, 2016

The boxer Muhammad Ali, who died on June 3 of complications from Parkinson's disease, was one of the greatest fighters of all time. Three times, he was heavyweight boxing champion of the world. But he made news outside the ring as well. In 1981, he reached out to a suicidal man, calling him his brother, and talked him off a ledge. The man had been there for several hours, shouting that he was "no good" and that the Viet Cong were coming to get him.

According to CBS News, a police spokesman said: "Ali did it all. ... He went up there and he talked to the guy until he came down. A police psychologist and a chaplain had tried -- but Ali got it done." That same year, TWW team member Henry Brinton ran into Ali in the concourse of the Atlanta airport and found him to be a warm and friendly person, not the superstar who called himself "the greatest" and once said, "It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am."

Muhammad Ali was certainly larger than life, both inside and outside the boxing ring. He was a competitor in some of the most memorable matches in boxing history: a world heavyweight championship upset over Sonny Liston in 1964, the "Fight of the Century" against Joe Frazier in 1971, "Rumble in the Jungle" against George Foreman in 1974, and "Thrilla in Manila" against Joe Frazier in 1975. He claimed that he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Ali didn't hesitate to fight with his mouth as well as his fists. Referring to Sonny Liston, he said, "He's too ugly to be the world champ. The world champ should be pretty like me!" He mocked Joe Frazier as ignorant and called him "the Gorilla." He nicknamed George Foreman "the Mummy" and said, "Now you see me, now you don't. George thinks he will, but I know he won't." Ali was known for treating his opponents with contempt, and once said, "I'm so mean, I make medicine sick." And yet, he did not remain enemies with all of his adversaries. After Ali's death, Foreman said, "You don't want to live in a world without Muhammad Ali."

Outside of fighting, Ali was criticized for his social activism. One day after his first fight against Sonny Liston, Ali announced he had converted to Islam. Until that time, he was known by his birth name, Cassius Clay (he was named for the great abolitionist Cassius Clay), but he announced, "Clay was a white man's name, was a slave name, and I'm no longer Clay, no longer [a slave]. I'm now Muhammad Ali." Although this conversion made him seem sinister and distant to many conventional sports fans, he told a biographer, "The first time I felt truly spiritual in my life was when I walked into the Muslim temple in Miami." His conversion drew strong criticism from civil rights leaders like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who stated, "When Cassius Clay joined the Black Muslims, he became a champion of racial segregation and that is what we are fighting against." But as Ali matured, he drastically changed his views, declaring, "The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life."

While converting to Islam was not widely popular, Ali caused an even bigger uproar when he declared himself a conscientious objector and refused to fight in the Vietnam War. The war was still relatively popular when he took his stand, and he was vilified by many, even in the African American community. He was condemned as a draft dodger and criticized in Congress, but asserted that his Muslim beliefs prevented him from going to war. Instead of fleeing to Canada or Sweden, the heavyweight champion of the world stayed in the United States and resisted -- a stance that was important to many African-American troops.

"Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam," Ali asked, "while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?" The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called his decision to become a conscientious objector "a very great act of courage." Ali was arrested, lost his title and was banned from boxing professionally for three years. Later, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor and allowed him to return to boxing.

Beyond his victories in the ring and as a social activist, Ali's greatest strength was probably his ability to connect with people in the United States and around the world. A proponent of civil rights, he said, "Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong." As one of the best-known Muslims in the United States, he called for peace after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Presidents asked him to make diplomatic visits abroad. In 1990, he helped to return several hostages who were being held in Iraq.

Ali visited prisons and hospitals throughout his life, often using simple sleight-of-hand tricks to connect with adults and children. He continued to travel and make public appearances as long as he possibly could, and was a tireless advocate for Parkinson's disease patients and their caregivers. Doctors say that his Parkinson's disease was likely caused by the thousands of punches he took in the course of his career.

Was Ali arrogant? Of course. TWW team member Jim Berger recalls that Ali was once on a plane preparing for takeoff. The flight attendant came by and told him to buckle his seatbelt. He replied, "Superman don't need no seatbelt." The flight attendant replied, "Superman don't need no airplane, either. Buckle up!"

As proud as he was, Ali knew that "it's not bragging if you can back it up." He tried to back up his words with deeds, and as a result was seen as "the greatest" by many people around the world.. Some of his memorable sayings will continue to inspire, such as, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." In his actions, he lived the truth of his pronouncement, "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." Ali lived by his beliefs, knowing that you should "live every day as if it were your last because someday you're going to be right."

More on this story can be found at these links:

In 1981, Muhammad Ali Talked a Suicidal Man Off a Ledge. AOL Sports30 of Muhammad Ali's Best Quotes. USA TodayMuhammad Ali, Boxing Icon and Global Goodwill Ambassador, Dies at 74. The Washington PostMuhammad Ali in Vietnam. The New York TimesMuhammad Ali WAS a Racist who Repented. Daily Mail

The Big Questions

1. Muhammad Ali boasted about his abilities as a boxer and said, "Braggin' is when a person says something and can't do it. I do what I say." When, if ever, is it acceptable to boast about your abilities?

2. Ali converted to Islam and abandoned what he called his "slave name," Cassius Clay. When have you taken a bold step in support of your faith? What change did you make in your life to signify this step?

3. Refusing service in Vietnam was a controversial stance in the 1960s, but Ali was willing to pay a price for his beliefs. What price are you willing to pay for your convictions? What message would such a stance send to the larger community?

4. Ali was a fighter for race relations and civil rights, using his words instead of his fists. What battles should Christians be involved in today? How should such fights be conducted?

5. Reflecting on his boxing career, Ali said, "It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up." Can any job be an acceptable vocation, including "beating people up"? How do you see your work as your calling from God? What changes would you like to make to get closer to God's will?

Confronting the News With Scripture and HopeHere are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

Psalm 22:6-9I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; "Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver -- let him rescue the one in whom he delights!" Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother's breast. (For context, read 22:1-31.)

TWW team member Frank Ramirez notes that Psalm 22, a "suffering servant" passage, is often associated with Jesus (and was quoted by Jesus on the cross). But this is not the only interpretation. This psalm is a much more universal expression of our shared experience of suffering and alienation. Muhammad Ali certainly felt "scorned by others, and despised by the people" after converting to Islam and refusing to fight in Vietnam.

Questions: When, in your personal or collective experience, have you experienced suffering, alienation or despair? If you were vindicated, describe how this occurred. What did it feel like to be reconnected to God and to the people around you?

Proverbs 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (For context, read 16:16-33.)

Ali was one of the first -- or at least one of the first most famous -- athletes known as much for an arrogant braggadocio as for athletic prowess. Some critics have posited that Ali "broke the ice" on such behaviors, leading them to become mainstream in American culture, for better or for worse.

The proverb appears to speak to this sort of haughty spirit, not the pride in a job well done (e.g., a plumber repairing a tricky leak, a lawyer writing a fair and explicit contract and, yes, perhaps even a fighter dominantly beating up his opponent). There is little doubt that, at least in his younger days, Ali had a haughty spirit. Ali -- and his public followers -- thrived on this sort of boasting and self-praise -- even before his latter-day turnaround. 

Questions: What are some ways that you are tempted toward a haughty spirit? Have you ever experienced "a fall" as a result? What kind of pride is appropriate, as you reflect on your work and life?

Matthew 25:37-40Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (For context, read 25:31-46.)

Jesus speaks of the judgment of the nations and predicts that the kingdom of God will be inherited by those who feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner. It is revealed that some people have been serving Jesus without realizing that they were doing so. Could this have been true with the philanthropic work of Muhammad Ali? In the book The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis, some discover they have been unknowingly serving Aslan (the symbol for God) while overtly being an active, believing member of another faith.

Questions: What limitations do you place on being part of the family of God? Who is in and who is out? Are there non-Christians who are serving Jesus who may not know it? How do we know if we who consider ourselves Christians are really serving Jesus?

John 10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (For context, read 10:1-18.)

Jesus describes himself as "the shepherd of the sheep" and says that "the sheep follow him because they know his voice" (vv. 2, 4). He compares his role as shepherd to a thief and a hired hand who are not going to protect and care for the sheep. Then Jesus speaks of other sheep who will be brought into his fold in the future, creating one flock of faithful people following one shepherd.

Questions: What evidence do you see that people outside the Christian community are following the voice of Jesus? Where do you see people following dangerous leaders, the kind that Jesus calls thieves and hired hands? How can we join Jesus in the work of creating "one flock"?

John 18:36Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." (For context, read 18:28-38.)

After Jesus is arrested in Jerusalem, he is put on trial before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate asks him if he is "the King of the Jews" (v. 33), and Jesus dodges the question. Jesus says that his kingdom is not from this world, and acknowledges that his followers would be fighting for him if he led an earthly kingdom. Jesus concludes by saying that his mission is "to testify to the truth" (v. 37).

Questions: What things are worth a fight in this world? When is violence acceptable, whether in the boxing ring or in times of war? When is it right to testify to the truth in a non-violent way? How have you done this, or seen this done?

2 Corinthians 10:15-18We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our sphere of action among you may be greatly enlarged, so that we may proclaim the good news in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else's sphere of action. "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends. (For context, read 10:1-18.)

Paul defends his ministry to the Corinthian Christians, and asks them to excuse him if he boasts "a little too much" (v. 8). He explains that his boasting has been within limits, and it has been designed to increase their faith and enlarge his sphere of Christian action. Paul wants the good news of the gospel to spread beyond Corinth, and says that any boasting should be done in the Lord.

Questions: Do you agree with Muhammad Ali that "it's not bragging if you can back it up"? Where do you see a connection between boasting and using one's gifts and knowledge to their fullest? How can bragging be a way of spreading a message and enlarging one's sphere of influence? When does it go too far and become ineffective?

2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (For context, read 4:6-8.)

The apostle Paul regularly uses athletic imagery, in this case both boxing and racing, in his letters. Paul used images like these because they spoke clearly to believers from the Gentile world. Boxing and an event called pankratos (which resembled modern mixed martial arts contests) were extremely popular, and the winners were immortalized in statuary and poetry. Although professional boxing has lost popularity in the United States in recent years, the title of "heavyweight champion of the world" was revered through much of the 20th century.

Questions: What constitutes lasting fame in your experience? Who are the real heroes in your life? in Christian history? In your opinion what, if anything, would make you a hero in God's eyes? in the eyes of fellow Christians?

For Further Discussion

1. Islam is considered to be one of the branches of the tree of Abraham, making Muhammad Ali part of the family of faith, created by our loving God. What is your view of Muslims in relation to Christians? How are they part of God's creation?

2. The apostle Peter says, "Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander" (1 Peter 2:1). Ali showed malice toward opponents during his prize-fighting career, but then demonstrated great sincerity as a philanthropist. What do you think changed him? Where is the potential for such improvement in your life?

3. Ali made the observation, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." How is this true for you? Where can the church provide opportunities for service?

4. Racism in the United States was a factor in Ali's decision to be a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. Where do you see racism today? What can you do about it? How can the Christian community work to alleviate it?

5. Although Ali was called "the greatest" by himself and others, he had many flaws. Where do you see God using flawed people today? How can God use you?

Responding to the News

The death of Muhammad Ali is an opportunity to reflect on the life of a complex and charismatic human being. Use his life as an opportunity to reach out, in Christian love, to a person of another race or religion. Keep your eyes open for the image of God in people very different from yourself.

Closing Prayer

We thank you, God, for all the generations that rise and pass away, giving us new insights into the ways that you are at work in the world. Help us to see all people as your creations, and to appreciate the gifts you have given them. In Jesus' name. Amen.