I'm a sports enthusiast; but maybe not for the reason many would assume. If you know me you know I love baseball; especially the Cardinals.
What you may not know is I think sports are one of the greatest inventions of vanity of humankind...ever. Who sinks the longest putt, kicks the winning field goal, or doubles up a runner on first is of little consequence to the homeless, the terminally ill, the lonely, and the incarcerated.
Sports are some of culture's greater injustices. That a skilled batter would get paid multiplied thousands and even millions more than a skilled school teacher or a high level social worker is major leaguely imbalanced. The hope of getting out of the slums is not hanging on the ability to shoot a basketball. It must be because one can become a scientist or a popular waitress.
To me, sports are a valuable vehicle for connection. Golf scores don't cause me any consternation regardless of how poorly I shoot. The cronyism of it provides meaningful delight. Whether major leaguers or minor, whether front office workers or vendors, sports allow one of society's greatest methods of connecting with those who need to know God.
Sports are a double-edged sword; valuable or vain. If they are gaged from building up fame and fortune, I think such is a path destined to pale. However if the same is to be used as a kingdom connection, opportunities are as abundant as the imagination.
Winning is the issue; but it isn't the game being played. It is all about winning the one playing the game. Like sports. Enjoy the relaxation. Focus on leading others to Jesus through the common passageways of hitting balls and scoring runs.
Yes, we can lose sight and begin to believe that how our team does really counts. It doesn't. How God is doing with those individual teammates does. An exciting thing to me is to know that many who are suited up are there to promote the real field of opportunity....God's.
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