I've got to admit, I am most certainly not a sports person - especially watching sports. I don't know that rivalries, or the famous names, or the mind-blowing statistics. I don't understand the sports culture, and honestly I don't really care to. It's simply not my thing. I would much rather go dancing with a friend or curl up on the couch with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate.
But that being said, I recognize that many people do not share my affinity for the written word, nor my disdain for watching televised sports. And every now and then, their love of sports spills over into my little sports-less bubble. Someone break a record, or there is a major upset, or a rookie makes history, and for a few days my world in invaded my friends' comments and newspaper articles and Facebook status updates.
I think that it would be safe to say that these people love sports. Although I do not love sports, I understand their passion, because I too, have things that I love. Isn't it interesting, watching people doing what they love? No one squabbles over little differences, like what clothing you wear to the game, or what food you eat while you're there, or where you go to watch the game. They are united in their mutual love of the game.
And then I turn around and look at the Church. The Church, which should be united in the greatest Love there ever was. But so often, instead of love, you find silly insecurities and petty squabbles. Why is that? We serve the Author of love. So why do we act like He is nothing special?
G.K. Chesterton said that we should "let our religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair." Perhaps we have gotten so bogged down with the minutiae of what being a "Christian" should be, that we have forgotten Who Christ is. Christianity is not a theory. It's a love story. The greatest love story ever told. That being said, when people are more willing to express their love of football than they are of Jesus, I think it's time that we re-evaluate our priorities.
But that being said, I recognize that many people do not share my affinity for the written word, nor my disdain for watching televised sports. And every now and then, their love of sports spills over into my little sports-less bubble. Someone break a record, or there is a major upset, or a rookie makes history, and for a few days my world in invaded my friends' comments and newspaper articles and Facebook status updates.
I think that it would be safe to say that these people love sports. Although I do not love sports, I understand their passion, because I too, have things that I love. Isn't it interesting, watching people doing what they love? No one squabbles over little differences, like what clothing you wear to the game, or what food you eat while you're there, or where you go to watch the game. They are united in their mutual love of the game.
And then I turn around and look at the Church. The Church, which should be united in the greatest Love there ever was. But so often, instead of love, you find silly insecurities and petty squabbles. Why is that? We serve the Author of love. So why do we act like He is nothing special?
G.K. Chesterton said that we should "let our religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair." Perhaps we have gotten so bogged down with the minutiae of what being a "Christian" should be, that we have forgotten Who Christ is. Christianity is not a theory. It's a love story. The greatest love story ever told. That being said, when people are more willing to express their love of football than they are of Jesus, I think it's time that we re-evaluate our priorities.
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
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