Sports

As a youth pastor, I often have the privilege and responsibility to watch different sporting events of kids from our ministry. To tell you the truth, I was never really a jock. I wasn't even close to being good at sports, but I enjoy watching the games. I try to attend most of the games that I can. Of course, football is my favorite. I'm a true Cornhusker fan. (By the way, the '95 Huskers was the greatest college football team ever. Hands down!)

Well, last night I went to an out-of-town basketball for one of our freshman students. It was a fun game to watch. One Chadron player made seven 3-pointers. However, I was left with an uneasy feeling after the game. Sometimes, going to these games really bothers me. Parents can be so vicious. They harass the officials. They mock the other team. The whole show is often filled with so much pride and arrogance. Our society worships sports. It's unbelievable. This is just a freshman basketball game, and parents are at each other's throats. It's unlikely that any of these kids will play college ball, let alone the NBA. It's disgusting, and yet so sad. They're missing it. As I watched the game, this passage echoed through my mind.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.