Phor Phillies Phans

The other night I watched our Phillies finish off the Dodgers and win the National League Pennant Series. But still, to find the Phillies game I had to surf through TV channels covering the final McCain-Obama debate. The truth is, I found myself wandering back and forth between the game and the debate.

So there I am, sitting in front of the tube, oscillating between heavy and light-weight matters: McCain and Obama putting forward plans to solve the economic crisis, create jobs, strengthen America’s presence in the world and so forth on one channel, and in the meantime Cole Hamels throwing smoke at L.A. batters on another. Talk of national security, civil rights and global terrorism on the one hand, and broken bats, double plays and rally caps on the other. What’s wrong with this picture?

The problem is, this jarring clash, this deep dissonance between the profound and the mundane, didn’t really bother me at first. But the more I reflect, the more odd it seems—how we get so engaged and engrossed in things which, at the end of the day, are trivial. We have to admit it, don’t we: throwing and hitting a ball around a field may be loads of fun, but it really doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things.

So what’s the appeal—why do baseball games and other inconsequential contests grab our attention the way they do? Because deep inside, as beings made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), we have a need and passion to worship Greatness and applaud the Divine Victor who reigns over all the universe. God built eternity into our hearts (Eccl 3:11); the human soul is a homing device pointing to heaven. We’re wired to admire and exalt the One who reigns supreme.

This in-built need to praise and prevail drives a lot of sports mania. And adoring fans of Hollywood stars and pop musicians play the same tune in a different key. But beneath it all is a common drive: a God-given passion for the Lord in all his glorious, sovereign supremacy. It’s this yearning that people act out and often redirect in praise of earthly heroes.

To believers, then, I say: guard your soul! Enjoy the games, but make sure your heart of hearts stays enthralled with the risen, victorious Christ! And further, be on the lookout for how sports mania may open doors for sharing your faith: maybe you’ll have opportunites to think out loud with people about all the gushing praise from Phillies Phans, and about the One truly deserving of our joyful admiration!
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